Change
by thomthom830
Summary: Change can be good or bad. For the crew of the 4077th, the war pretty much stays the same. But when a new surgeon joins the ranks, not only do they turns heads, the whole camp goes topsy-turvy - which could be good, or bad. Please read and let me know what you think! By the way, I think this would take place somewhere around season 4. Rated T for now, could change later...
1. Chapter 1

Hello there everyone! This is my first MASH story. I've seen the whole series on re-runs throughout the years but recently started watching again since it became available on Netflix. So, please read on and let me know what you think. I love reviews.

Also, here is the traditional disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with MASH. I just really like it. [And I might have a slight crush on Alan Alda.]

Change

Chapter One

The whole journey had been a long one, but she'd expected it. After all, it wasn't a decision she had made on a whim. Joining the Army's medical corps during the Korean War was the only logical thing to do and she could follow in her father's footsteps.

The driver let her know that they were only about ten minutes from MASH unit 4077. It was the outfit that had the highest percentage of lives saved and they got almost all the wounded. It was _exactly_ where Elizabeth wanted; no, _needed_, to be.

She was grateful to have an end in sight for the ride, though. She'd been on a train from Chicago to San Diego and then on a plane from California to Seoul. Then she'd gotten on one of the military buses that was taking her to the MASH camp.

Elizabeth had no idea if anyone at the camp knew she was coming – well, aside from the colonel. She knew there would be some issues – she was a woman who had enlisted in the Army and she was part of an even smaller number of women who had started to practice medicine. Her father, an Army man himself, had secured her position as major – not that the title even mattered to her. She just wanted to help in whatever way she could.

Her friends back home told her she was crazy. She knew they'd never understand and she hadn't even tried to explain herself. Elizabeth had heard it all before. It was ridiculous and unheard of that she attended medical school, but once she set her mind on something, she never gave up. Her friends from college, on the other hand, were content to study to catch a husband and then let them defend their country. Elizabeth laughed and thought of her best friend, Suzie who was back home – she probably had already knitted her half a dozen scarves to send to her.

Doctor Elizabeth Lawrence didn't fancy herself an Army brat, despite what other people told her. She had spent her fair share of time at various camps in the US with her dad. And while she hadn't visited any out of the US until now, she knew she'd be sharing showers and a tent with strangers (but they wouldn't be strangers for long). The ground would be dirt and the food was going to be awful. She was grateful for her adaptable nature and lead stomach.

The bus pulled to a stop and Elizabeth reached to grab her things. She said a silent prayer that the unit would respond positively to a female doctor joining them and after smoothing her wrinkled uniform, she exited the bus with her duffel bag.

Elizabeth stepped onto the dry dirt and she realized how hot it actually was. She was beginning to sweat through her dress uniform.

"Doctor Lawrence," a jovial voice said to her.

She looked up and smiled. She recognized the man immediately, despite her not remembering how many years it had been since she'd seen him last.

"Colonel Potter," she replied. "It is so nice to see you again," Elizabeth saluted.

He saluted her back. "Lizzie, welcome to MASH 4077. Do you still go by Lizzie?"

Elizabeth laughed. "I sure do, Colonel."

"I'd like to apologize for not having a big welcome committee. I am letting most of 'em get some shut eye while they could. We just took care of fifteen wounded overnight," Colonel Potter explained.

She waved it off. "I didn't expect one anyway. It's not like I'm the Queen of England, despite the fact we share a first name."

A short young man in glasses dashed out from a nearby building.

"Colonel, helicopters are approaching. And ambulances."

He came to an abrupt halt in Colonel Potter and Elizabeth's presence.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No problem, Radar. Radar, this is Major Elizabeth Lawrence, our newest doctor. Lizzie, this is Corporal Radar O'Reilley."

Radar saluted. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Oh, please, call me Lizzie. And the saluting is unnecessary," she said while she saluted him back. "What were you saying about the helicopters?"

He turned back to Elizabeth. "We have two helicopters and a couple of ambulances coming in," Radar told them.

Colonel Potter nodded. "Well, Lizzie, looks like you'll be getting right into it. You ready?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Always," she said.

"Let's go," Potter said. "Radar, go call everyone. Lizzie, follow me. You can stow your gear in my office for the time being."

Radar took off in the direction of the office at a run, Potter and Elizabeth following behind.

By the time the rest of the surgical staff had joined them, Elizabeth was stripped down to her tank top [mostly because it was so hot, but she also didn't want to dig for anything else in her suitcase] and was scrubbing up. She was alone in the scrub rom with her mask already on.

"Nurse, you know that is not proper attire for an Army base and especially not for an operating room," Major Margaret Houlihan told her upon entering the room.

"Isn't that what our fore-fathers fought for? The right to bear arms?" Hawkeye laughed. "You go right on ahead, Nurse…?" he trailed off because he realized he had no idea who was behind the mask.

"Well, it is certainly what my father fought for, Major," Elizabeth said in a clipped, yet respectful tone in reply to Margaret. "And I'm actually a doctor."

BJ and Hawkeye smiled while Frank Burns scowled at her.

"You're a woman!" Frank exclaimed.

"Very good, Frank. Now, what are BJ and me?" Hawkeye deadpanned.

"I'm a man, too, ya know," Frank pouted.

"Are you sure?" BJ asked.

"I think I just saw his nose grow."

"It's okay, Frank, you can admit it. Geppetto told us all – you're wooden. He wishes he would have carved you a chin while he was putting you together, though," Hawkeye laughed.

"You really shouldn't take that, Frank," Margaret hissed.

"I can fight my own battles, Margaret," he hissed back.

"Seems to me you were just standing there," Margaret replied.

"Welcome to the 4077, doctor," BJ smiled.

"I'm BJ Hunnicut. This here is Hawkeye Pierce," he introduced them.

"I'm Elizabeth Lawrence. It's nice to meet the both of you. I'd shake your hands but I'm already scrubbed."

"We have a whole war to introduce ourselves."

"I'm Major Frank Burns. I'm also a surgeon," he frowned.

"Because that's what the diploma said when he won it out of a claw machine," Hawkeye laughed.

"And I'm Major Margaret Houlihan. I'm in charge of the nurses," the blonde woman introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you all. I look forward to getting all of you when we're done in here," Elizabeth said.

"Incoming," a voice shouted.

"Let's go," Potter said to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had lost track of how many men she had operated on.

She rolled her neck while she waited for the next one to come in. Some men were better than others, but it was all basically the same – all of them had been hit by enemy sniper fire.

Her tank top was stuck to her back and chest – soaked with sweat. Her already minimal make up had run of her face and was not on the surgical mask she wore.

"Are you doing all right?" Colonel Potter asked her from across another patient.

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm fine, Colonel Potter."

Klinger came into the OR, helping carry in another man on a gurney. He and an orderly set the injured man down in front of Elizabeth.

"What do we have?" Elizabeth asked Klinger.

"Possible concussion; was knocked down and banged his head pretty hard. Also took a bullet to the left calf. Uh, here," Klinger pointed out.

Elizabeth inspected the wound on the young man's calf. It had gone straight through from back to front; she hoped it hadn't shattered the bone. After moving the gauze, a fresh well of blood appeared on the skin's surface.

"Nurse, please put pressure on that," Elizabeth told the closest nurse.

The nurse got to work and Elizabeth moved from the man's feet up to his head.

"Can you tell me your name, soldier?" she asked while she examined his eyes with a penlight. She nodded with approval. "Pupils are equal and responsive," she told the nurse. It was pretty safe to say that the man didn't have a major head injury.

"Are you an angel?" the young man asked in a quiet voice.

Elizabeth smiled behind her mask. "I'm far from an angel, soldier. I'm your doctor. Elizabeth Lawrence. What's your name?"

"Eric Kennedy," he replied.

"Well, Mr. Kennedy, we're going to put you out and when you wake up, your leg is going to hurt a whole lot less."

BJ and Hawkeye spared a quick second to watch her. They were beyond relieved that she was more than capable in surgery – they lucked out that she was more than just a pretty face.

"Are you sure you aren't an angel?" Hawkeye asked in response to her incredibly pleasant bedside manner.

"Believe me, Doctor Pierce, I am _no_ angel."

He wore a wide grin behind his surgical mask and he and BJ shared a knowing look before returning their focus to their respective patients.

…

All in all, the OR was running for a solid fifteen hours. Everyone was tired, dirty and hungry. But they had managed to save each and every one of the twenty men that had come in this time.

The sun was already high in the sky by the time they all had emerged.

"Not quite the first day you had imagined, I'm sure, right, major?" Colonel Potter asked her.

"I had actually expected a lot worse, Colonel. My father had tried to warn me about these Army hospitals. But he wasn't lucky enough to have had you all working on him. That's probably why he still has the limp."

"Is that what he told you?" Colonel Potter smiled.

Elizabeth nodded slowly. "Yes. He told me he was wounded during the war by a German sniper."

The crowd stood around waiting for Colonel Potter to confirm that as the official happenings.

"Your father's best friend shot him in the patoot when they were horsing around on guard duty one night," he laughed.

Elizabeth looked at him with eyes full of disbelief.

"Lizzie, I was there," he laughed. "Shame on General Lawrence for not telling his only child the truth," he smiled happily and laughed.

Elizabeth started to laugh as well.

"Wait, your father is General Gregory Lawrence?" Margaret asked as she put the names together.

Elizabeth nodded. "One and the same. Do you know him?"

"Hot Lips likes to meet all the generals," Hawkeye answered for her.

Margaret rounded on the dark haired man. "You watch your mouth, you, or I'll have you court martialed for sexual harassment of a superior officer," she warned, her finger pointed into his eyes.

Hawkeye smiled and put his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, Major. Please forgive me."

"That's better," Margaret replied. "And in reply to your question, Major Lawrence: yes, I have met him, but just in passing a couple of times. He was always so friendly. And always talking about his Martha back home. She must be so happy to have him stateside again."

Elizabeth smiled and Colonel Potter put his hand on her back in support.

"Uh, yes. We're all happy he's back in the states," Elizabeth told them.

Colonel Potter sensed it was time for them all to get some rest.

"Radar?!" he called and looked around. After the ten seconds it took for him to spin around, the young man was at his elbow.

"Yes, sir?" Radar asked.

"How do you do that?" Colonel Potter asked.

"Do what, sir?" Radar replied.

"Nothing," the colonel shook his head. "Listen, Radar, please take Lizzie and her things to her tent, set her up with a tour on the way through."

"I took the major's things to her tent and I can give her a tour of the camp while I walk her there, sir."

The two of the men said everything at once. Elizabeth liked the way they were so efficient with their work.

"All right, Corporal. Lead on," Elizabeth said to Radar. "I look forward to talking with you all later, if that's all right. I was hoping to grab a shower, and maybe some food."

"Well, we have showers. No food though. Food-like substitutes are aplenty," Hawkeye told her.

Elizabeth giggled, the tiniest bit, before turning her attention back to Radar.

"Right this way, ma'am," he told her.

The colonel, BJ, Hawkeye and Margaret all watched them walk away towards Elizabeth's new quarters. They all distinctly heard her tease Radar.

"I told you to call me, Lizzie, Radar," her voice carried from afar. "I don't think I'm old enough to be a 'ma'am'," she said. Her laughter carried around the corner from the tents as the two of them disappeared.

Frank, who had remained un-stereotypically quiet during the whole thing, scowled.

"Watch it, Frank. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to make faces? If the wind changes, you'll get stuck like that," BJ told him.

"Well, I don't know BJ. It seems like an improvement on the old face he wears all the time," Hawkeye told his friend.

"Hardy-har-har," Frank fake-laughed. "Just keep joking, buckos. Letting a woman do a man's job? Especially a surgeon? Ridiculous!"

"I know they'll start to think they should have the right to vote and all of that will all just lead to chaos and anarchy," BJ told the man.

"And war. Oh, wait…" Hawkeye trailed off.

"Margaret…" Frank whined. "Help me. Tell them that women can't be surgeons."

"Excuse me?" Margaret rounded on her once-lover. "I, for one, am happy to see a woman joining us in the OR. It's good to see a female stepping up. I'm sure we can all learn a lot from her."

"I hope to find out," Hawkeye said under his breath.

"I just don't think a woman should have that kind of responsibility. I'm shocked that you allowed this, colonel," Frank whined some more.

"Listen, Burns. We all listen to your jabber about…well, it seems like just about everything. But this time, you're even more out of line than usual. I didn't just allow Lizzie to come here, I welcomed her here. We're the best MASH unit there is and we'll be even better with her joining us. So, you can either like it, or lump it. But I don't want to hear that you're griping about her anymore. You understand me?" the colonel said in a strict voice that he usually reserved for the most serious of situations.

Frank Burns slowly nodded. He was just going to have to learn to deal.

"All right, dismissed," Potter said to everyone.

Hawkeye and BJ turned to head back to the swamp. They were going to catch some shut eye before anything else came in.

"What do you think of the newest addition?" BJ asked her.

"I think it's a girl," Hawkeye smiled. "And I think it's wonderful."

…

Author's note: So, what do you think of my first chapter? Please let me know if I should continue with this.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: So, I would first like to apologize for my lateness in getting this posted. As soon as I had posted my first chapter, I got sick and was using my free time to sleep. And when I wasn't sleeping, I was re-writing this chapter. I went through three or four different versions before I landed on this one. Read on, and let me know what you think!

And by the way, thank you for all the positive encouragement I received. I really appreciate it!

Change

Chapter 2

It was five in the morning on Elizabeth's tenth day at the 4077th. Between the intense heat and mental exhaustion, she couldn't sleep and she'd written a third letter to her father instead of sleeping.

Elizabeth was still in her pajamas, not exactly military uniform…close fitting cotton cropped pants and a tank top…and she was making her way to the office to put her letter in the outgoing mail. She was sweating while she walked; it was unbearably hot even though the sun was just starting to get up from its own bed.

She was watching her feet for a quick second and managed to collide with something solid. A solid someone. Luckily, the someone she'd collided with caught her by the shoulders before she was knocked onto her rear end.

"I'm so sorry, Elizabeth," the someone said.

She focused and realized it was BJ. He was in his grey warm-ups was clearly out for some early morning exercise.

She shook her head. "No, no. I was the one being silly and not paying attention."

"You're up very early," he told her.

"I was about to tell you the same thing," she replied. "I couldn't sleep. I'm taking my letter to the office to be mailed."

BJ smiled warmly. "Got a guy back home?"

"Just my dad," Elizabeth returned his smile. "Do you get up early every day to run?"

"When I haven't been in the OR all night. And not when it's raining. But I try to work out a bit," BJ told her. "Since you're already awake, would you like to get some coffee? Or the Army's synthetic equivalent of coffee?"

She chuckled. "Sounds good. I can drop my letter off on the way."

BJ accompanied Elizabeth to the office and they found Radar furiously scribbling instructions as he took a call. He was wrapped in his robe while wearing his wool cap and holding his teddy bear. "I'll let Colonel Potter know and we'll have someone out to help you as soon as we can, Nurse Cratty. I promise," he said before he ended the call.

"What's going on, Radar?" BJ asked.

He blushed bright red at Elizabeth in her non-conservative pajamas.

"Um," he swallowed while he re-focused. "Nurse Cratty has woman…young girl…well, she's having a baby."

"Did they time the contractions?" Elizabeth asked.

"Time the what?"

"Where is this Nurse Cratty and how do we get there?"

"I need to let Colonel Potter know…"

"We can take a jeep. It's about five miles down the road," BJ said to Elizabeth. "I'll go get the jeep."

"I'll go grab supplies."

"I'll meet you out front in five minutes," BJ told her.

Both of them moved in opposite directions and Radar turned after each before running for Colonel Potter's tent.

…

BJ and Elizabeth were loading supplies into the jeep when a pajama-clad Colonel Potter and Radar joined the two of them.

"Radar told me what was going on with Meg. I want the both of you to report back to me as soon as you get there," Potter ordered.

"Of course," BJ told him.

"It's five miles down the road; help the girl and get back to the camp ASAP."

"We will do our best, sir," Elizabeth told him.

"Do me a favor, BJ? Don't lose her," he pointed to Elizabeth. "Her dad'll have my butt in a sling…pardon the language, Lizzie."

She smiled. "Pop likes you," she told him.

"Not if I lose his daughter, he won't," the colonel replied to Elizabeth.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," BJ assured him again.

He nodded and the two of them climbed into the jeep. BJ started it and they started on the road out of camp.

…

"How long has it been since in our last update from BJ and Lizzie?"

Radar checked his watch. "It's ben ten hours, sir. And no one is picking up when we call over there."

"You should try again and keep trying, Radar."

"I'm going to keep trying them," Radar said at the same time.

…

BJ and Elizabeth came into camp an hour later. Their jeep was in between two buses full of wounded soldiers. BJ was driving the jeep still, but Elizabeth was doing chest compressions on a wounded man that was riding in the backseat. BJ had no idea if the camp knew they were coming back – their radio had been damaged on the way back, but since the wounded had been announced, all of the doctors and nurses in the camp were waiting for them.

They pulled to a stop and BJ moved to help Elizabeth.

"How's he doing?"

She was checking his heart rate now that they had come to a complete stop. "I have a pulse – a low one, but at least it's there."

"Talk about making an entrance," Hawkeye said to BJ as he approached the jeep.

"Not exactly the entrance we wanted to be making, but we weren't picky given the circumstances," Elizabeth replied.

"What do we have?" he asked about the patient.

Elizabeth took a chance to breathe and adjust her hair out of her face.

"They started shelling a unit we were passing on the way home," BJ said. "This fella took a couple of hits to his abdomen and we lost a pulse for a while. Elizabeth seemed to have brought him back, though. He needs to get into the OR immediately."

"I'll start triage out here. You guys go get scrubbed up," Hawkeye said.

He signaled a couple of orderlies and they came over with a gurney. They gingerly put the unconscious man on it and listened to Hawkeye's instructions. They immediately rushed the man over to the OR.

Colonel Potter and Frank Burns were scrubbing when the BJ and Elizabeth walked into the room. They'd taken the few seconds to change into new, clean scrubs and were quickly starting to get cleaned up.

"BJ, Elizabeth, where in the Sam Hill have you been?" Colonel Potter asked them in a loud voice.

"After we got to Nurse Cratty's place, we helped deliver the baby, but they started shelling and knocked out the phone lines," BJ told them.

"We found ourselves helping out the wounded on our way back. And now we're here," Elizabeth said.

"I'm happy to see you've each made it back in one piece," Potter told them.

Frank was silent as they scrubbed. But he was making faces.

"You got something to say, Frank?" BJ asked as he saw the smug look on the man's face.

Frank shook his head. "Nope."

Elizabeth didn't want to get in the middle of things, considering how tired she already was, but it was extremely tempting. She already knew how Frank Burns felt about a woman surgeon and she knew that she was about to get very angry at this man if she said anything. And she very much suspected that this was yet another complaint about her mere presence in the scrub room.

But BJ didn't let the topic go. He'd seen firsthand what skills Elizabeth had as a surgeon and he wasn't about to let Frank discount her. And he was just as tired as she was.

"Frank, you sure look like you've got _something_ to say. You should just say it so we can mock you for it and move on," BJ told him in a semi-annoyed tone.

BJ hadn't really experienced women doctors himself, but he knew a good one when he saw them. And Elizabeth had done a terrific job delivering a breach baby for the young Korean girl at Nurse Cratty's place and then she'd taken a bullet out of a man's arm in the field less than an hour later. There was no doubt in BJ's mind that this woman was just as good at her job as any of them, and better at it than Frank Burns would ever be.

"I just don't think that being out in the field in the middle of an enemy attack is any place for a woman. She could have been captured, being weak, and then…"

Elizabeth cleared her throat while she rinsed the soap from her forearms. "But I clearly wasn't captured, Major Burns. I don't mind that you have this particular opinion about me, but I would truly, _truly_ appreciate it if you would keep it to yourself. Especially when I haven't had any sleep, because I'm liable to punch you in the nose."

She finished scrubbing and moved into the OR to begin work on the young man she'd kept alive on the way back from the battle site.

"How are his vitals?" she asked Nurse Able.

"He's holding steady. BP is one hundred over sixty, a little low. And heart rate is sixty-four."

"Hard to believe he had nothing when we first found him, right?" Elizabeth asked.

Nurse Able nodded.

"Well, let's get started."

The rest of the doctors and nurses, as well as orderlies and all manner of personnel were bringing wounded into the OR. BJ was set up to Elizabeth's left and Hawkeye was on her right.

They worked for another eight straight hours, only getting a minute or two between each next patient.

Elizabeth removed the shrapnel and bullets from the young man's abdomen. She had to re-sect the bowel and sew up the pancreas, but his blood pressure and heart rate rebounded and came up to solid, normal numbers.

She was out taking a break when Hawkeye joined her.

"That was some nice work in there, doctor," Hawkeye said.

She nodded. "Thank you," she replied, rolling her neck and shoulders. Her the muscles in her arms were screaming in agony as they protested the amount of work they'd done without relief that day. She'd first delivered a baby, followed by an unrelenting amount of chest compressions, and then she'd been in surgery into the night.

"I've never seen a woman re-sect a bowel before," Hawkeye said. "It was kind of sexy."

She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and repulsion for a quick second before she realized he was joking.

"Never a dull day around here, is there?" she asked.

"Only when Frank's left in charge," he told her.

Elizabeth wasn't sure about the man who sat across from her. Doctor Benjamin Franklin Pierce. One of the most skilled surgeons in existence. And he spent most of his free time either fraternizing with the nurses or using his illegal still in his tent. Elizabeth had no issues with either of those things – people had to do what they could to make the most of the free time because their work time was incredibly intense. But she couldn't help but believe Hawkeye had some kind of underlying motive when he said things to her. Every once in a while, the tone would catch her just like Major Burns' tone did – that he couldn't stand to see a woman running a surgical team.

But he was charismatic for sure. And he had a great smile, whether it was sincere, or not. Elizabeth did find him attractive, but there wasn't a chance she'd let herself get involved with him; he probably had no interest in her whatsoever. And even if he did, it was going to end up like it did back in Chicago with John, and she couldn't do that again.

She shook herself mentally and focused back on Hawkeye, who was still sitting directly opposite her on the bench.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Hawkeye asked.

She rolled her shoulders again. "I'm hoping to get some sleep. Do you ever get used to it here?"

"Not a chance," Hawkeye said. "And if you do, you'd probably be on the first shipment out of here with a section eight…because you'd be legitimately crazy."

He stood, stretched his own back.

"You should come down to the officer's club later, I'll buy you a drink,"

He nodded politely in her direction and moved back into the OR. "Okay, who is my next victim?" she heard him say while he walked into the room.

…

A total of twenty-three wounded came in and they'd lost only one. Elizabeth's first that day. The man with the belly wounds. She knew it had been a long shot, but she'd thought she'd worked hard enough and fast enough to save the kid. He was only nineteen years old. But there had been nothing they could do. He'd coded in post-op and the nurses couldn't bring him back.

Elizabeth had taken it harder than she thought she would have. She'd lost patients before, but this was different. This kid was different. She had thought that since she'd been able to bring him back once, he'd stay that way. But she was wrong.

She'd finished in post-op and gone to take a shower. It was two in the morning now; she was running on sleep from two days ago now. She decided she would go over the officer's club – she could certainly use a drink.

But while she was showering, she heard voices outside the building.

"She's probably not going to come," a voice she recognized as BJ's said. "It's been a long day and she'll probably go to sleep."

"Probably cry herself to sleep. Did you see the way she was fighting tears in post-op?" another voice said. It was definitely Hawkeye.

"Like I said, it's been a long, exhausting day and I am also going to go get some sleep," BJ said. "I don't blame her one bit for needing to get some rest."

"It was probably difficult for her out in the middle of a warzone, too," Hawkeye said. "I'm sure she was a lot of help there."

Elizabeth heard Hawkeye chuckle. It was like he knew she was in there. That he wanted her to hear what he was saying. She started to dry herself off so she could get dressed.

"Hawk, I had no idea you felt this way about women in the army," BJ said.

"I just think that women are too emotional to be surgeons. Doctors, sure. But army surgeons? Making decisions on what limbs or organs the soldier keeps or whether a patient is too bad to fix up? Doesn't seem like the best place for a woman. I've seen our nurses fainting at the sight of some of these patients, BJ. No, she should be back home, working on a pediatrics practice instead of out here. I'm not sure what she's trying to prove, but…"

Elizabeth pushed out the shower building door with incredible force. She'd heard everything the pig-headed Hawkeye Pierce had said. Now she was sure of what she thought of him. He was a smug SOB who had more time on his precious hands than he knew what to do with. And his words had cut straight through her.

She took one look at the man still standing there, mid-sentence, and slapped him across the face as hard as she could before she took off down the path to her own tent. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she shouldn't have laid a hand on the man, but she was too tired, too upset, too…everything, to worry about it now.

The two men watched Elizabeth stomp back to her tent until they'd lost sight of her in the shadows and darkness. Hawkeye held his cheek where the impact had left a painful sting. He'd been slapped many times; he'd need several extra hands to count the amount of times, in fact. But this was the first time he'd regretted the reasoning behind it. Perhaps Elizabeth wasn't as weak as he'd originally thought.

BJ looked at him with a semi-amused look on his face. "You okay?" he asked, almost laughing.

Hawkeye nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "Thanks for defending my honor there."

"Oh, I think you were doing a fine job yourself," BJ said. "You want to go get that drink now?"

"I'm going to need a triple."

…

Author's note: Okay, let me know what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

Change

Chapter 3

"Nurse Baker, clamp, please," Hawkeye asked the woman across the patient from him.

She slammed it into his open palm and he regarded her curiously over his surgical mask.

"Thank you," he replied curtly and confusedly.

Her attitude remained the same throughout the surgery. As well as the next three. In between patients, some of the nurses were running into him while carrying supplies, hitting him with gurneys and in one case, she stepped on his foot.

After about a dozen times he began to believe that none of this was coincidence.

By the end of the day, he lay on his cot and stared at the tent ceiling.

BJ walked in and looked at his friend.

"You okay?" BJ asked as he came in to change his clothes.

Hawkeye sighed audibly.

"Could this have anything to do with the nurses being mean to you during surgery?" BJ asked. "When a girl teases you, it usually means she likes you."

Hawkeye gave him a glaring side-eye.

"I'm fairly certain that what was happening in the OR today was not teasing. I could handle teasing. I asked out a dozen nurses for the movie tonight and eleven of them said they were washing their hair."

"What did the twelfth one say?" BJ asked.

She stomped on my food and stalked off.

"I'd take that as a no."

"That's what I figured, too. I think I'm lucky that I got out of that OR in one piece today or attempting to do an exploratory on me," Hawkeye told BJ.

"If it makes you feel better, you can be my date for the movie," BJ smiled.

"That's kind of you, Beej. I think I might stay in tonight, though. In case one of the nurses decides to take advantage of the dark and stab me."

Frank walked into the tent a moment later. "Well, well, if it isn't the slap-champ of the 4077."

"Excuse me?" Hawkeye said, his eyes almost turning red with rage.

"The rumor is you took a nasty hit to that face of yours last night. Apparently she can hit pretty well for a lady."

"You should watch out. You'll be next on her hit list, Frank," Hawkeye said.

"So, it's true? You got hit by a woman?" Frank laughed in an _aha_ kind of way. "Doesn't feel so good, does it?"

Hawkeye was not happy. But he suddenly knew why all of the nurses had rejected him throughout the day.

"She's told all of them and turned all of them against me!" Hawkeye shouted as he stood up from his cot.

"Elizabeth doesn't really strike me…"

"Ha-ha," Hawkeye laughed in a sarcastic way.

BJ continued, "I don't think she ran off and told people."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"I'm not. But I spent a fair bit of time with her and I don't think she's that kind of person," BJ told him.

"And you didn't?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" BJ asked. "Because, of course, I didn't tell anyone. Why would I tell anyone?"

"Who did you hear it from?" Hawkeye was suddenly in Frank's face.

Frank shook his head defiantly from side to side. "I will _never_ tell."

"Major Houlihan," Both BJ and Hawkeye said together.

Frank pouted immediately. "How'd you know?"

"It's written all over your face," Hawkeye replied as he held up a mirror to Frank's face.

"That's Margaret's color, isn't it?" BJ asked about the lipstick that was in a few places on Frank's face and neck.

Frank turned away from the other men quickly. He was embarrassed. He couldn't believe that Margaret had let him go out like that, but he had been in a hurry to leave her tent a few minutes ago.

Hawkeye, with BJ on his heels, left the tent and Frank behind. They moved to Margaret Houlihan's tent and he knocked on the door.

"Frank, go away. I'm tired," Margaret's voice called.

Hawkeye chose not to say anything, he simply pulled the door open. He and BJ ducked to enter.

"Hi honey, I'm home," Hawkeye said. "And he followed me home from school today; can I keep him?" he pointed to BJ.

Margaret Houlihan's blonde head whipped around and she immediately snarled. "Don't' you even have the common decency to announce yourself before barging into a woman's private quarters?"

Hawkeye very nearly mad a caustic comment, but chose to censor himself and let it slip away.

"I'm just here to find out where you heard about my getting a love tap from our Major Lawrence?" he told her.

Margaret's smile was an evil one. "I wish I'd have been there. Did it hurt? Does it still hurt?" she asked, clearly hoping it still did .

"Geez, Margaret, I had no idea you were just a sadist," BJ replied.

"And what exactly are you doing here?"

"Bodyguard," he laughed while Margaret joined him.

"Ha-ha," Hawkeye deadpanned. "Keep laughing at my expense. At least tell me who told you. Where did you heard it? Did Elizabeth tell you?"

Margaret shook her head. "My nurses told me. And then they informed me that you were getting the deep freeze from them. It'll be a cold day in hell before Hawkeye Pierce touches another one of my nurses."

"What?" Hawkeye asked.

"They're on strike when it comes to you, Pierce. None of those ladies is going to go near you," Margaret said with a grin of satisfaction. "I can't say that I'm disappointed that I won't turn a corner to find you canoodling with one of them. I don't know what they see in you anyway…"

"Well, this has been a wonderful experience, Margaret, but we should be going," BJ said as he decided that their time was done there.

"I don't think your loose end is Major Lawrence, Pierce. I tried to ask her about it today; to get the real story, but she said that she didn't feel right talking about it and asked me to not talk about it."

"I hope you didn't swear some kind of blood oath on it," Hawkeye said. "Because I know you told Frank already."

BJ ushered Hawkeye out of the tent and into the night.

"I…" Hawkeye started.

Radar came running. "We have incoming wounded," he said. A second later the helicopters were heard.

"Time to go," BJ said in reply.

Ten minutes later all of the doctors and nurses were scrubbing up.

"I'll move the movie until tomorrow night all," Colonel Potter told them.

"What movie were we set for any way?" BJ asked.

"_Bonzo Goes to Hollywood_," Colonel Potter told them.

Next to them, Hawkeye was giving Elizabeth the evil eye. And she was doing her absolute best to ignore him. However, it wasn't working.

"When we're finished here, I'd like a few words with you, Doctor Lawrence," Hawkeye said.

He'd used his non-committal tone. He wasn't joking and he wasn't giving away anything. It was highly suspicious.

Elizabeth knew all of the eyes in the scrub room were on her and waiting for her reaction. Instead of the fireworks everyone expected, she simply nodded.

"Of course, Doctor Pierce."

Hawkeye had been ready to argue. He'd been ready to yell and wheedle until she had relented and agreed to speak with him in private. But he suddenly wound up feeling empty. He noded in return and rinsed his soapy hands off.

…

Nine hours later, they all stepped bleary-eyed into the sun.

The team had worked through the night, yet again, repairing the wounded.

BJ yawned and stretched out his long arms.

"Breakfast, anyone?" he asked while everyone else was watching Elizabeth walking away with Hawkeye.

"I would give anything to be a fly on that wall," Margaret said.

"What's going on?" Colonel Potter asked.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Margaret asked him.

"Heard what?" he barked. "More rumors going around my camp?"

He turned and looked at everyone around him: Klinger, BJ, Radar, Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan. And none of them wanted to answer his question.

"If one of you doesn't tell me now, you will _all_ be in the stockade. And trust me, it's not as much fun as you've heard. Radar?"

Everyone knew Radar was the weak link when it came to lying. And none of them wanted to go into the stockade.

"It's just Elizabeth being homesick," BJ lied.

All of the eyes darted around.

"Well, even I know that's bull spit," Potter barked. "Someone tell me now. Houlihan?"

"Okay, well, I'm not one to spread rumors…"

The men all laughed and she shot each one of them an evil look in turn.

"Houlihan…"

"Well, I heard that Pierce said another one of his pigheaded things and Elizabeth slapped him. And apparently that's led to all of my nurses having ostracized him."

"And what kind of pigheaded thing did he say this time?" he looked to BJ while he asked.

"I, uh, um…"

"BJ..." Potter said sternly.

"He was voicing his opinion that women, uh, that he thought women were too emotional to be Army surgeons. And she overheard and – and she slapped him."

"It really happened?" Frank laughed. "Oh, man. Pierce is…"

BJ shot Frank a look that silenced him instantly.

"That sure explains why Nurse Kellye almost stuck him with the needle today."

"And why he got his foot run over with a wheelchair," Klinger said. "That hit echoed. She oughta play ball with an arm like that."

"Wait? You saw?" BJ asked.

Klinger busied himself with the ruffles on the skirt of the peach-colored Southern belle get-up he was wearing that particular day.

"Klinger, how many people did you tell about this?" BJ asked.

"Two or three…dozen, at most," Klinger said. "But I didn't realize it would be such a big deal."

"Well, this _little thing_ polarized my camp and I won't have it…" Potter began.

"I'll have Major Lawrence and Captain Pierce report to your office ASAP."

"I want Lawrence and Pierce in my office ASAP," Potter said at the same time as Radar.

…

Elizabeth and Hawkeye were a fair distance away from the camp when they finally began to talk.

"Okay, before you start whatever it is you want to say…"

"I think I should go first," Hawkeye said.

"I just want to say that it is not your fault that I flew off the handle the other night. I've heard people tell me that a woman cannot be a surgeon for the last six years. And as ridiculous as it sounds, the more I heard it, the more I took it as a challenge. But when the famous Doctor Pierce…"

He shook his head. "Famous?"

"Believe me, I've heard of your work," Elizabeth replied.

He shook his head again in disbelief.

"When I heard you saying that about me, that I couldn't do what I wanted to. That I couldn't help these soldiers over here, well, I finally snapped. And proved your point of being too emotional."

Hawkeye was stunned into silence. He closed opened and closed his mouth a few times, with no sound escaping. He blinked, as if it would change what happened, but it didn't. He had prepared himself to come out here and have a war of words. And he got an admission of guilt in its place.

"So, go ahead. Yell at me. Do what you need to do, say what you need to say. I can take it. I'm a big girl."

And it was in that moment that everything shifted between the two of them. He admired her big blue eyes and dark lashes and the way she was biting her bottom lip in anticipation of what he was going to say.

"I, uh…" Hawkeye stuttered. He _never_ stuttered. What was going on?

"Thank you, um, for saying that," he muttered.

"And I am sorry for slapping you. I should not have done that," she said. Elizabeth was looking at him in a way that she hadn't.

In the two weeks she'd been at the 4077, Elizabeth had seen this man in surgery and when not working, he had a martini in one hand and nurse in the other. She was seeing him speechless for the first time. And she could finally see him and _only_ him.

"Captain Pierce and Major Lawrence, report to Colonel Potter immediately," Radar's voice boomed over the PA system.

Their moment was gone in that instant.

"I guess we'd better go," Elizabeth said, finally breaking the gaze and looking away from Hawkeye's eyes.

Hawkeye swallowed hard and nodded. "I think we had better," he agreed. He held out his hand to indicate that Elizabeth should lead the way. She nodded and started walking.

He took a moment to compose himself. What had just happened?

…

Author's Note: And the tension builds! Let me know what you think! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Change

Chapter 4

Captain Hawkeye Pierce and Major Elizabeth Lawrence made their way to Colonel Potter's office as requested. Neither of them said a word on the way there or while Radar led them into Potter's office.

"So…which one of you would like to explain why my entire camp is divided between the sexes?" he asked the both of them. He looked back and forth to each of them.

"I, um," Elizabeth started. "I should probably explain."

He nodded. "Okay, go ahead, Lizzie," the colonel said.

"Well, um…it's all my fault, I guess. I got angry at what I overheard Doctor Pierce saying and…"

"What exactly did you overhear our Captain Pierce saying?" Colonel Potter asked.

Hawkeye's face remained impassive but he was eager to hear what Elizabeth had to say and how Colonel Potter was going to react to it. He had a sinking feeling that no matter what, the colonel would side with Elizabeth – especially since Potter had known her since she was a kid.

Elizabeth shook her head. "It really isn't important now, really. I just overreacted."

"She's said she was sorry, Colonel. And I'm sure things will go back to normal tomorrow," the dark-haired doctor said.

Colonel Potter was unfazed by Hawkeye and his comment.

"You'll tell me what you said or you won't be getting any weekend passes for six months!" Colonel Potter demanded.

"Doctor Pierce was merely talking with another and was voicing his…opinion…" she said drawn out in a sarcastic way. "…And I took offense to what he had been saying."

"And you said _what_ exactly?"

"Colonel Potter, with all due respect…" Elizabeth began.

He turned to Elizabeth and waited for her to finish her statement. And she was guilted into silence with just the one look.

"I don't think women can be Army surgeons, Colonel," Hawkeye said. "I'm not saying that women shouldn't be physicians, I'm only saying…"

Elizabeth said nothing as she stood having to listen to the opinion all over again, however she could feel herself getting upset all over again.

"Both of you, sit down."

They looked at one another and obeyed their CO's order.

"I want the both of you to hear what I am going to say. Some folks are going to think I'm being progressive, that I am just throwing caution to the wind, but I'll tell you something: Elizabeth's a damn good doctor. And so are you, Pierce. And here, well, that's all that matters. So, whatever your hang ups are, get over them. Men, Women, Klingers alike, it doesn't matter as long as you're good at your job here, all right?"

"She slapped me!" Hawkeye suddenly said, the tables turning.

"He was being an arrogant son of a…" Elizabeth said back.

Colonel Potter was out of his seat and instantly reminded her of a school teacher reprimanding unruly studends.

"You," he looked to Hawkeye. "Elizabeth's only crime, according to you, is being a female doctor? Well, if that's the case, I'm glad she slapped you. I'd like to think it knocked some sense into you, but I can see that isn't what took place. And Lizzie, I know it's rough, but you cannot go around slapping the people that upset you. Lots of people would be wearing my palm print on their cheeks if that were acceptable around here. So, the two of you will shake hands and figure out a way to get this camp back in order; one solid team. You're dismissed. Get out of my office."

The two of them took their dismissal, but the truce and good spirits from their earlier discussion was gone.

They opened their mouths to begin to argue, both of them shooting daggers at one another with their eyes, but Radar was standing and talking with Klinger. Both of them stopped their conversation when they saw the two doctors join them.

"Hi there, Doctor Lawrence, Doctor Pierce," Klinger told them. "Lovely day, today."

He was in a summer floral, a mix of pinks and blues. It hit him mid-calf and it was nice and swingy when he walked. He'd finished off the ensemble with a white hat, white gloves and a small white clutch purse.

"Hello there, Corporal Klinger, Corporal O'Reilly," Elizabeth said in a civil a tone as she could muster at the present. She studied him for a bit.

"Pardon my askin', but what are you looking at?"

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. "I was just thinking that I have some earrings that would be great with that outfit. But you should ditch the bag. I might have something – are you busy right now?" she asked Klinger.

"You mean it?" Klinger asked her.

"Of course," Elizabeth said in a chipper tone.

"Most of the ladies aren't so nice around here."

"I'm not like most ladies," Elizabeth replied while wearing a smile.

"That's for damn certain," Hawkeye said under his breath.

Radar, of course, heard him, but said nothing.

"We're finished here, right, Doctor Pierce?" she asked sweetly.

Of course they weren't done. A million things were running through Hawkeye's mind – he couldn't figure out if he wanted to have her booted from camp or marry her. She was the perfect kind of infuriating.

Sh

He realized he had not responded to her and then he and Radar were left watching Elizabeth walk away arm-in-arm with Klinger towards her tent. Both men started to watch Elizabeth's hips swing seductively side to side. Hawkeye held up his and to cover Radar's eyes.

"You should be exposed to a walk that obscene, Radar"

And boy, was it a walk.

…

True to her word, Elizabeth made sure the gossip around camp regarding the incident with Hawkeye Pierce come to an abrupt halt. She had first gone with Klinger to her tent and he came back with an arm load of accessories and a whole different story on the matter.

And then she moved on to Margaret Houlihan. The woman claimed to be a model of moral decency [but coincidentally was also 'secretly' seeing Major Frank Burns] but she was a gossip just like everyone else.

"What do you mean?" Margaret asked. "Pierce _told_ me it was the truth himself."

"And you believed he'd tell you the truth? It got through camp and it was just a big overblown rumor," Elizabeth lied. She was attempting damage control – not because she gave a lick about Pierce, but because she had not come here to cause a ruckus.

"I just don't understand, Elizabeth," Margaret semi-whined. "It didn't happen? Why would he admit it? He was so angry about it."

"If you were a man such as Hawkeye Pierce, would you like to hear a rumor about yourself that you were hit by a woman?" Elizabeth asked. She shook her head. "I think someone _thought_ they heard what he and I were talking about, made some insinuations, assumptions, and embellishments, and now the whole camp…"

"I'm going to have to address the nurses," Margaret asserted immediately. "Rumor-mongering around here will not be tolerated. And they can't treat a doctor the way they were treating him today – even though Pierce certainly deserves it."

Elizabeth almost felt bad that she was lying, but in this particular case she figured she'd be forgiven by the Big Guy. She had to tell her own tale to make things right around here.

"You'd probably better come with me. In case any of them has questions," Margaret said. "We'll get everyone together now."

Elizabeth was hoping for a nap, but allowed herself to be pulled from Margaret's tent and to the office so Margaret could make an announcement.

…

By the next night at the 4077th, Hawkeye knew that Elizabeth had worked her magic and done what she could. He'd received from several nurses and several [in]decent proposals. Things had immediately gotten back to their usual. But he did see that many of these ladies were now giving Elizabeth a side-eye when they saw her.

Hawkeye wasn't sure if they were mad at her or if they were jealous, however he was willing to bet it was the latter. It was clear to him and the rest of the population at the 4077th that Elizabeth was attractive. And smart. And nice to boot. Except when she was doling out slaps.

It didn't take him long to notice that Elizabeth hadn't joined them all for that evening's movie. He had Nurse Able on his left and Baker on his right and each of the women was taking turns whispering sweet nothings into his ears. But he kept hoping that Elizabeth was going to walk into the tent.

But by the time the credits were rolling, he realized that the vigil he had been keeping on the tent opening hadn't worked. Elizabeth had not joined them.

"Hawkeye, let's go back to my tent and I can show you how badly I feel for thinking you were like that," Nurse Able said while she batted her eyelashes and stroked his arm. She was very tempting and he nearly went with her. But Hawkeye simply shook his head, politely declined and followed BJ back to their tent.

Being the good friend he was, BJ said nothing until the two of them had returned to the solitude that was their tent. Frank was on the midnight shift of post-op and the two men could speak without his nosy ears listening in.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush; what the heck is the matter with you?" BJ asked. "Nurses Able and Baker were ready to play doctor with you. The nurses clearly heard the new story."

"I guess I just don't feel like playing doctor tonight. It's been a long day, Beej. I think I'm just gonna catch some shut eye."

Hawkeye lay on his cot and stared thoughtfully at the canvas ceiling of his tent.

"Might this melancholy have something to do with Elizabeth?" BJ asked.

Hawkeye immediately shook his head. "Why would this have anything to do with…_her_?" he replied. "I mean, sure she's intelligent, beautiful and quick-witted, but she's bossy and infuriating and…"

"And?" BJ asked.

"And I think I'm in love."

…

Author's note: So what does everyone think of this chapter? Let me know!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I feel like I start off each of these updates with an apology. I started this chapter at least a dozen times, unsure of how I wanted to go about it. So, I'm sorry that it took so long for me to put this up, but here it is. Read through it and let me know what you think!

Thanks!

CHANGE 

Chapter 5

Five weeks into her time at the 4077th, it was as if Elizabeth Lawrence had been there since Day One. She became fast friends with Margaret – they were having girl talk and painting each other's nails almost immediately. She became running buddies with BJ, even if most of their runs only lasted for a bit and they ended up chatting while the sun came up. Elizabeth was able to get Radar a date and she coached him through it, so he didn't pass out – there was even a rumor of a second date with the girl. Klinger made her a dress and the two of them were ordering patterns and fabrics from Tokyo and Seoul each week. Colonel Potter was teaching her to ride Sophie, the horse, and even Frank Burns was enjoying her company. He'd found she had a great love of classical composers _and_ she was able to get her hands on some very nice wine on a fairly regular basis.

Hawkeye was still on the fence about the woman; even the nurses had decided to forgive her. Elizabeth was smart and beautiful, but he was able to recognize or at least convince himself that what he thought was love was either indigestion from the awful food they were served on a regular basis, or a brief, but temporary mental breakdown. Either way, he'd decided to move on and was inching along at becoming her friend.

This is what led to Hawkeye and BJ having a few people at the Swamp for a semi-friendly game of poker. Semi-friendly because she, Elizabeth, had just won fifty dollars of the men's money and despite her best efforts not to gloat at her winning, she wore a huge victory smile.

A couple of the men had already left; embarrassed that they had been beaten so badly by a woman. This left Hawkeye, BJ, Father Mulcahy and Elizabeth while Frank Burns was doing his overnight in post-op.

"Where did you learn to play poker?" BJ laughed as she counted her cash.

"I grew up on army bases. I used to go play with the guys after school," Elizabeth laughed. "I even earned a Girl Scout badge."

"Yeah? There a badge for fleecing unsuspecting army doctors?" Hawkeye asked with a grin on his face.

Elizabeth wore a look of mock horror. "For selling the most cookies, of course! I bet the fellas they had to buy 'em if I won," Elizabeth said. "I didn't have money to bet when I was 13, but cookies go over real well on an army base."

Father Mulcahy even laughed at that.

Elizabeth yawned. "Well, my friends, I believe it is time for me to turn in."

"What do you turn into?" BJ asked.

"My fairy godmother wasn't very forthcoming about that, but I was told I had to be home by midnight and I don't want to risk it," Elizabeth smiled.

"I wouldn't, around here she might make you into an army doctor," Hawkeye said.

"Father, please take this for the orphanage," She said as she extended her hand to him with the money she'd just won.

"Major Lawrence, that's so generous!" Father Mulcahy told her. "Are you sure?"

"Elizabeth," she corrected him. "And of course, they need it more than I do." She looked down at her watch. "Oh dear, if I am going to get any sleep at all I need to get a move on. You boys don't stay up too late."

She smiled at all of them in turn and with a wave of her hand, she was gone from the tent.

Father Mulcahy couldn't contain his joy and wore a huge smile. He was astonished at the act of kindness. "The sisters at the orphanage will be able to buy boots for all the kids for the winter."

BJ and Hawkeye nodded, their eyelids were beginning to droop in exhaustion, but neither wanted to admit it.

"Yes, Father, that woman certainly has a decent streak in her," BJ said.

"Give it a few more weeks; I'm sure the army will march it outta her," Hawkeye pointed out.

Clearly Father Mulcahy didn't want to believe that. He stood from his chair. "Well, gentlemen, I do believe it is time for me to say my prayers and go to sleep as well."

Hawkeye began to protest. "Father, you aren't going to let us try to win our money back?"

"Hawkeye, the money is for the children," the Father said.

Hawkeye protested no more.

"Good night, men," the Father said with a smile.

"Good night," BJ and Hawkeye said together.

…

Elizabeth yawned again as she walked back to her own tent. All was quiet except for her feet on the ground until she reached the nurses' tents. A commotion was heard and suddenly one woman burst from the tent and ran smack dab into Elizabeth.

Instead of apologizing, the woman started to tussle with Elizabeth and it was all she could do to dodge the fists and feet coming at her.

Elizabeth stepped back and was able to recognize the nurse. She was short, petite. Her blond hair was trimmed in a neat pixie cut, but was currently wild. By looking into the woman's eyes, Elizabeth was able to see that the nurse was drunk.

"Judith," Elizabeth hissed quietly, trying to get her attention, but it seemed that Judith was suffering from blind rage in her drunkenness. She was still swinging and kicking in Elizabeth's general direction.

The other of the tent's inhabitants filed out just in time to see Elizabeth receive a slap across the face. The other women emitted sharp gasps as they waited for the Major's reaction.

But before Elizabeth could react, Judith passed out into Elizabeth's arms. Despite her small frame, it was all Elizabeth could do to keep the two of them upright and out of the dirt.

"Someone want to let me know what just happened?" Elizabeth asked the other women standing around her.

Nurse Kellye stepped up. "She got into a bottle of wine and just kept drinking. We didn't realized she'd had a whole bottle until it was too late."

"Let's get her back inside before someone sees her," Elizabeth said.

The nurses and Elizabeth managed to get Judith back into her tent and into her cot.

"She's supposed to have a shift in post-op in an hour," Nurse Able pointed out.

"We all are," Kellye said.

"You _all_ are?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Baker told her. "Major Houlihan usually schedules us like that so we keep on rest together."

Elizabeth nodded. That made total sense.

"Okay, well…"

"Are you going to report her? Major Houlihan always hates it if we get drunk and has told us that we'll do time in the stockade if we do," Kellye said. "And she said she'd make it part of our official record."

Elizabeth was quiet for a minute while she thought. "No, I'm not going to say anything, but we all have to agree on this: no one says anything to anyone."

They all nodded.

"If anyone asks, Judith was taken ill and I've confined her to bed rest for the day. One of you can come check on her every so often. When she's awake, I want to talk to her. Why the hell was she drinking so heavily?"

"She received a Dear Jane letter yesterday. Her fiancé broke up with her; he's marrying someone else," Able told Elizabeth.

"Oh dear," Elizabeth replied. She knew how that felt. "Okay, is everyone clear on how we're handling this? When you all go on duty, I'll check on her every so often and make sure…"

The blacked out woman, Judith, started to vomit, stopping Elizabeth mid-sentence. Elizabeth rushed to the woman's side and Kellye followed her.

"We need to turn her on her side so she doesn't aspirate the vomit into her lungs," Elizabeth told Kellye. The two women started to move in sync, turning her over. The vomit, a bright purple color, fell onto the floor. "New plan: we need to get her hooked up to an IV to make sure she doesn't dehydrate," Elizabeth said when the action of vomiting didn't wake Judith up. "Able, will you run over to the OR and grab a banana bag and a large bore IV. Uh, and a gown; we can't leave her in a vomit-covered uniform. Be as discreet as you can."

Able nodded and headed out of the tent.

"Did she only drink wine? And only one bottle?" Elizabeth asked the other two women that were still in the tent with her.

Kellye brought over the empty bottle that was on the table. "This is the only one we saw. And it was almost empty when we got back from the movie."

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion. Maybe it was possible for such a petite women to be this sick from a bottle of wine, but it was highly suspicious.

"We'll keep an eye on her here, but we might have to move her to post-op so she can be put on some monitors. And we can keep her away from any other alcohol," Elizabeth said.

"But Major Houlihan…"

"I don't want to lie about this to anyone, but we have a duty to take care of each other. And if anyone finds out about her…condition…I'll talk to Colonel Potter myself. It's not a crime to be drunk; Prohibition ended a long while ago. We'll put her in post-op and say that we think she has food poisoning, but if directly asked, we will not lie."

The women nodded at her instructions.

All eyes turned to the door as it opened and Able walked in the door, followed by Hawkeye.

"I couldn't shake him," she said to the women who were clearly waiting for her explanation. "And all I could grab was a gown; Major Burns was pacing in post-op."

"What's going on here?" he said to Elizabeth. "And do you have a black eye?" he looked at her face.

She turned away quickly, focusing on the woman in the cot again.

"Nurse Renner is sick…"

Hawkeye spotted the wine bottle. "I'm familiar with that kind of sick. Too much alcohol in too short of a time doesn't do a body good," Hawkeye said. "What's the plan here?"

"I originally thought that she should sleep it off in her own bed, but she vomited and I don't want her to be left alone when these ladies head off to post-op duty in a little bit," Elizabeth explained.

"You all can get her changed, I'll wait outside. When that's finished, you and I can take her to post-op and get her set up in a bed," Hawkeye said.

"I was going to tell anyone who asked that it was…"

"Food poisoning," they said together.

They were on the same page. He nodded to her and tucked his toothbrush in his chest pocket before heading out of the tent to wait while the ladies got Judith Renner changed out of her vomit-covered clothes.

It didn't take them long to get the petite woman changed into a gown. Kellye took the nurse's soiled clothing and threw them in a laundry bag. It was hard to say whether or not they would be usable again, considering the color of the stain. Elizabeth poked her head out of the tent and got Hawkeye's attention.

"Make sure that bottle gets to the trash where no prying eyes see you," Elizabeth said. "And this is all between us, all right? I'll take the heat if something comes from it," she said to the nurses. She wanted to assure them that they weren't going to feel Major Houlihan's wrath if the real story came about.

The other three ladies smiled and nodded positively at Elizabeth. She had most definitely earned their respect. Now she just had to make sure Hawkeye wasn't going to spill.

Hawkeye picked up the still-unconscious Judith Renner and Elizabeth held the door open for him to walk through it. They walked in silence to the OR where Elizabeth grabbed the door again and Hawkeye filed through with the woman in his arms. The two of them went immediately post-op where Frank Burns and Margaret Houlihan were on them.

"What's going on with my nurse? What did you do to her?" Margaret demanded.

"Margaret, he didn't do anything. We think she has food poisoning," Elizabeth lied.

"Right," Hawkeye said. "Don't shoot the ambulance."

He laid her down in the bed and Elizabeth checked her vitals again.

"Margaret, I don't want her to dehydrate. She vomited once before, about ten minutes ago; I would like to hook her up to a banana bag and bring up her electrolytes," Elizabeth explained.

"Of course," Margaret said. She headed for the supplies.

Frank didn't look like he was going to believe them as easily.

"Food poisoning? And what happened to your eye?" he asked Elizabeth.

Elizabeth straightened her shoulders. "Yes, food poisoning. And my eye is fine – I didn't turn on the light in my tent and I ran right into something."

Frank narrowed his eyes at her explanation, but didn't question her any further.

Margaret returned a minute later with an IV and a yellow bag. She was also carrying gloves and a tray.

"Pulse is normal, but she has a fever," Elizabeth said. "Maybe it's the stomach flu."

Hawkeye nodded. He admired the way she was deflecting their questions and suspicions.

Elizabeth got to work on the IV and Hawkeye started a chart for the nurse in the bed.

"I'll be back to check on her in a little while. If there are any changes, let me know, please," Elizabeth told Margaret.

"There is a staff change in about a half an hour, but I'll let the nurses coming on duty to get you if she wakes up," Margaret said.

Elizabeth nodded. "That would be lovely. Thank you, Margaret," she said.

Hawkeye and Elizabeth exited post-op, but he stopped her before they were out of the building. He inspected the bruise that was darkening under her eye.

"What _really_ happened to your eye?" he said, gingerly touching the area. She winced and he removed his hand. "We should really take care of it while we're here," he said to her.

She shook her head. "I'm fine."

He said nothing, but he gave her a knowing side-eye look.

"Okay, the only reason I found out about Nurse Renner was because I was walking back to my tent and she was running out. She and I collided and she was pretty violent before she passed out. I tried to calm her down and she slapped me. But I'm fine."

"Let's go get you some ice. I'd say a steak, but what they keep here isn't fit to be worn on the face either."

Elizabeth nodded. "Don't you need to sleep? I can get my own ice," she said.

"I'll be fine. Too much sleep isn't good for the body either," Hawkeye smiled.

They walked in silence over to the mess tent and Hawkeye led her into the kitchen in the back. There was ice in the final freezer he checked and he found a semi-clean towel to wrap it in. He gingerly pressed it to the bruise on her face and she winced again.

"Sorry," he said.

"I always thought I'd be able to take a punch," Elizabeth said. "Don't tell anyone that Renner hit me; I'd probably die of embarrassment."

Hawkeye let out a bark of laughter.

"I gotta tell ya, what you're doing for Renner is really great," Hawkeye told her. He was leaning against the kitchen counter as he watched her pick through a fruit basket and attempt to find a piece that wasn't offensive to the senses. She picked out a couple grapes and popped one and then another into her mouth.

She chewed and swallowed before she answered.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" she asked.

He smiled. "Cross my heart and hope to get out of here alive," he said. "Scout's honor."

"You were never a Scout," she accused.

"No, but like I always tell folks, I'm always prepared."

She shook her head, but wore a smile.

"In all seriousness, Renner got a Dear Jane letter. Her boyfriend back home dumped her in a letter for a new girl," Elizabeth said. "And I know how that feels."

"You do?"

"Well, he did it to my face, not in a letter, but I have to tell you, it feels exactly the same. In all actuality, it probably feels worse to have to read the letter; to have the words in front of you."

"You were engaged? And some idiot dumped you? Is he locked up in an asylum now?" Hawkeye asked.

He caught the faintest of a blush creep up her cheeks.

"No, he's very much assisting my best friend plan their wedding back home now," Elizabeth said. "It's all right, he _is_ an idiot and I would have broken up with him when I got back anyway."

"Well, what you're doing for Renner is real great," Hawkeye said. "You're full of surprises, Bets. Can I call you Bets?"

She nodded. "Sure," she smiled.

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Hawkeye said. And he meant it. The decent streak that they talked about earlier ran deep in Elizabeth and she would fit just great into their group. And she would have the pleasure of being the first woman accepted as a real friend to Hawkeye. He just wished he didn't feel that tightening in his chest each time she smiled at him.

Getting over it, he put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go catch some shut eye. But only a little. I don't want to be too prepared for the day."

Elizabeth laughed and allowed herself to be walked out of the kitchen. It felt good to finally tell someone what happened before she'd come out here. And Hawkeye hadn't reacted with the sympathetic puppy dog eyes that everyone else did. She was grateful for a friend like Hawkeye.

…

Author's note: So? What did you think? I love reviews, so everyone should send me their opinion! Good or bad! Thank you!

PS. I borrowed the line about Hawkeye and the Scouts from the show, so please don't sue me. I just figured he'd probably say it more than once, especially when he had a different audience.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: So here's the next chapter! I know, it's only been a few days! Let me know what you think after you read it. I love reviews.

Major thanks to those who consistently review! You keep me encouraged!

Thanks!

….

CHANGE

Chapter 6

Everyone involved with the incident in the nurses' tent was sworn to secrecy and Elizabeth was certain that the story would be convincing. However, she wasn't anticipating any major changes.

After sleeping it off for a few hours in post-op, Nurse Kellye had come to get Elizabeth because Judith Renner was awake. And she was causing another ruckus.

In her pajamas again, yet again, Elizabeth rushed into post-op where Judith was making a huge fuss.

"What the hell are you doing?" Elizabeth hissed at the woman on the hospital bed.

Judith Renner immediately froze at the tone of voice the woman was using.

"Doctor Lawrence?"

"Not only will your butt be on the line if someone finds out about you, mine will be, too."

"What-what happened?" she whispered.

The angry look on Elizabeth's face was replaced with a caring and concerned one. She sat down on the edge of Judith's bed and smiled.

"In reality, you drank too much and managed to make yourself incredibly sick. Luckily, your friends care about you more than you care about yourself and have been keeping watch over you for hours. If anyone outside of your bunkmates bring this up, you have been ill for the last several hours with food poisoning and you aren't sure what you ate that made you sick. You can stay here until you're totally rehydrated and this fluid bag is empty, but I expect you up and getting cleaned up within the next two hours. Not only have your friends cleaned up your bunk, but they've made sure you've been alive this whole time. You owe them a sincere apology and you'll never do this again."

It wasn't a request and it wasn't a suggestion. Elizabeth was using her official tone to order this woman.

Judith was cowering in her bed. Elizabeth knew some of it, well, most of it, was due to embarrassment and she couldn't blame her. Elizabeth knew she'd be embarrassed were the shoe on the other foot. Tears were forming in the young woman's eyes and her lower lip trembled.

"Seriously, you can cry in your bunk later, but if anyone asks, you're simply sick with some kind of stomach bug. Do you understand?"

Judith nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm-I'm feeling all right. How long was I out?"

Elizabeth glanced at the clock on the wall and returned back to Judith.

"Around eight hours or so. Did you have anything other than the bottle of wine?"

Judith looked down at her hands but said nothing.

"I need to know what else was in your system. Did you take any pills or medication?"

Sheepishly, Judith nodded. "I took some pain meds from our storage. I, uh, I don't normally do things like that, but Doctor Lawrence, Tommy _wrote_ me and broke up with me. How could he do that?"

"And your break up makes you believe that you can steal from the MASH unit? That you could take medications that we have on hand here that are for the wounded soldiers for yourself because of a boy back home? Your solution to heartbreak was to overdose on drugs and alcohol? Your bunkmates and I covered for you, but this cannot –"

"I swear I've _never_ done anything like this before."

"How old are you, Judith?"

"I'm twenty."

"And how long were you and Tommy together?" Elizabeth asked.

"I was with him for eight wonderful months. And he just up and leaves me!"

Elizabeth nodded.

"In light of the fact that you helped yourself to the medications we keep here, I am going to have to report you to Colonel Potter and you will have to suffer the consequences. I would have been able to cover for the alcohol, but…"

Judith began to wail and the other women – her friends and bunkmates – came into the room.

"Is everything all right, Doctor?" Nurse Kellye asked.

"Everything's fine," Elizabeth nodded.

They nodded back at her with sympathetic smiles and moved out the room once more.

Judith was blubbering and clutching at Elizabeth's arm while she begged.

"Please, please, please, you can't let them send me away," Judith said. "Please!" she pleaded.

It was all so easy before. It was cut and dried. But this woman was under the influence of alcohol _and _drugs. And she'd stolen the meds from the MASH unit. If Elizabeth didn't tell someone, she would be responsible if something were to happen to Judith or anyone under her care. If she did tell Colonel Potter what Judith had done, she would likely be sent home – more than likely be dishonorably discharged because she'd made such a dumb mistake.

She couldn't talk to Margaret; that woman would immediately fly off the handle and want to deal with the situation herself. Only one person would be able to talk her through this.

She found Able and Baker and told them under no circumstances should Judith be allowed to leave the post-op ward. They were under strict instructions that she would remain admitted until further notice. Both women nodded and Elizabeth went to find Hawkeye.

She let herself into the Swamp while all three men remained asleep. She tiptoed around the mess and stood next to Hawkeye.

"Hawkeye," she said quietly into his ear. "Hawkeye?"

"Am I dead? Is this Heaven?" he whispered back without opening his eyes.

"Hawkeye, I need you to come with me. I need to talk to you."

He opened his right eye. "Bets?"

"Yes," she whispered. She moved around his cot and found his pants.

"Bets, I don't know what you've heard, but I'm not that kind of girl," he muttered.

"Come on, Hawk," Elizabeth said back.

He finally stood from the bed when he comprehended the worry in her voice. Hawkeye pulled on his pants and boots and followed Elizabeth out the door.

"Bets, what is it?" he asked as he followed her.

"We can talk in my tent."

He was still confused, but followed her.

Inside her tent, Hawk finally saw the anxiousness on her face as well as the bruise that had come into full bloom under her eye.

"Are you all right?"

"Nurse Renner is awake and I was able to speak with her. And…"

"And?" Hawkeye asked.

"She wasn't only drinking wine. She…"

"No?"

"Hawkeye, she stole some pain medications from the camp and took them. She overdosed on the combination of them," Elizabeth explained. "And I don't—I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

Hawkeye had sat down on the edge of her bed while Elizabeth was pacing the small area of her tent.

"Do I keep it all a secret? If I tell Colonel Potter she'll be discharged from the army. Dishonorably."

"Don't tell Klinger – he'll be in the store room filling each of his purses."

"I'm serious!"

"You have to tell Potter. I fully supported what you were trying to do, but now the circumstances have changed. Stealing and using the drugs from camp? Its inexcusable."

"It's just – she's only twenty years old. And she'll be sent home because she's a kid and she made a stupid, stupid mistake."

"That could have killed her," Hawkeye pointed out. "Stupid was drinking the bottle of wine because her boyfriend back home dumped her on her keister. It's well past stupid to steal and do what she's done. And besides, not telling endangers her life further because she'll always have the temptation here."

"But everyone just forgave me and I was starting to settle in…"

"Believe me, I know that doing the right thing isn't always the popular thing. But Renner will thank you some day for giving her a fighting chance at life. And we can't let her treat patients if she stays. She's a danger to them, too. Do you know how long she's been doing this? I know Margaret was saying that the inventory has been coming up short for a few weeks now."

Elizabeth was shocked to hear Hawkeye saying these things. She was sure that he would argue for the girl staying at the camp. She was sure that she was going to need to make a case for sending Renner home. But he'd only agreed with every single thought that had run through her mind in the last twenty minutes.

Elizabeth nodded. "I guess I know what I have to do."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Hawkeye asked.

"No, I should do this. Do you think I should talk with Margaret first? Judith is Margaret's nurse and therefore…"

"Do yourself a favor and take a deep breath."

Elizabeth did as she was told.

"Now, think about what you just said," Hawkeye said.

And he was right. There was no chance she was going to go tell Margaret first. She would just have to go deal with the situation first and Margaret later.

Elizabeth nodded. "You're absolutely right," she said. "My duty is to report to Colonel Potter, not to Margaret. She'll understand that…eventually."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you to talk with Potter?"

She reconsidered the option. But stuck with her answer.

"No, I really should go do that myself. Would you go check on Judith, though? I left some of the other nurses in charge of her."

Hawkeye nodded. "Bets, you are an incredible woman."

"You're just saying that because you are sleep-deprived," Elizabeth said.

He shrugged and yawned. "Eh, I'm starting to get used to it," he replied.

Elizabeth smiled. "Okay, well, I'm going to go see if Colonel Potter is awake. It's…its six AM already? It feels like I only got a few hours of sleep!"

"You _did_ only get a few hours of sleep," Hawkeye told her. "And you should probably keep icing your eye. By the way, what's your plan about that?"

She looked at Hawkeye. "What do you mean?"

He reached out and gingerly touched the area under her eye again. "Your eye. Are you going to tell Potter that Renner hit you?"

"I think she's already dug herself into a deep hole. I don't think she needs any more help with her discharge," Elizabeth explained. "What do you think?"

"I think you're right," Hawkeye said.

She nodded. "Okay. It's settled then."

They emerged from Elizabeth's tent smiling, happy with what they had decided. Neither of them saw anyone, on their walk through the camp, however BJ had been headed back from the latrine and was watching them curiously from a distance.

…

"Radar, I know it's early, but is Colonel Potter awake?"

Radar was just waking up and was still half-asleep. His bear was still tucked snugly under his arm and he yawned while he sat at his desk.

"The Colonel usually wakes up around five-thirty, but he won't be here until around seven," Radar yawned.

"But he's usually awake at this time?" Elizabeth asked.

Radar yawned again and finally realized that he was holding his teddy in the presence of Elizabeth. He put the bear down into his lap and straightened his glasses.

"Yes, Major Lawrence, Colonel Potter is usually awake right now. But he doesn't like to be disturbed until he's had a cup of coffee."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you, Radar," she smiled.

She turned back out of the office building and headed for Colonel Potter's tent.

Things were not going as smoothly in the post-op ward.

"Hawkeye, you can't let her send me away!" Judith Renner shouted.

"You have got to be quiet," Hawkeye said.

"You of all people should understand! People do things! They make mistakes! I made a mistake!" she shouted.

He shook his head. "I might do a lot of things around here, play pranks and whatever, but you…" he said.

BJ walked into the post-op ward a minute later. He'd followed Hawkeye and once he'd heard the commotion that Judith was making, he walked into the room.

"BJ! Don't let them send me away! I can't go home! I can't take a discharge! My father will be so disappointed!" Judith plead.

BJ was totally confused; he had no clue as to what was going on and Hawkeye was staring at him.

"What are you doing here?" Hawkeye asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," BJ replied.

"Listen, you can go back to the Swamp. I've got things under control here," Hawkeye said.

"Yeah, it sounds like you do," BJ replied sarcastically. "What's going on, Hawk?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with right now. I'll tell ya later, okay?" Hawkeye said.

BJ shook his head. "No, I think I'd like to know…"

He was cut off by Colonel Potter and Elizabeth walking into the room.

"Oh no!" Judith shouted. She tried to rip the IV out of her arm and bolt, but she struggled and simply began to sob while still sitting in the bed.

"That sounds like an admission of guilt to me," Colonel Potter said. "Hunnicut, what are you doing here?"

"I have no idea," he answered honestly.

"You said no one else knew," Colonel Potter said to Elizabeth.

"When I came to see you, the folks I told you about were the only people who knew," Elizabeth said.

"He doesn't know," Hawkeye said. "He just wandered in here."

"He's standing right here," BJ said, referring to himself. He was still extremely confused as to what was going on.

"Renner, I'm very disappointed with you," Colonel Potter said as he shook his head.

She began to bawl even harder while she was watched by all the eyes in the room.

"I'll have Radar get the paperwork together. We'll have to let ICORPS know and they'll more than likely want to have their own trial and do their own investigation," Potter explained. "I'll have Radar talk with you each to get statements. Lizzie, I'd like to talk with you in private quickly, please."

Elizabeth nodded and followed behind Colonel Potter as he left the room.

"She can't be left alone. She'll have to be monitored," Colonel Potter said. "And I don't want her friends to be the ones who are watching her. I've been through this a couple of times; the temptation of being around the heavy medication is too much for some folks. I really appreciate that you came to tell me this."

They heard Renner sobbing in the other room again.

"I know that it's difficult and she's young. But she could have died last night and she's damn lucky you were there to make sure she didn't," Colonel Potter said. "She's going to be upset for a long time, but she'll be happy in the long run since she will still have a chance to do something with her life."

Elizabeth nodded, clearly affected by the emotion of Judith Renner in the other room.

"Seriously, Lizzie, you did the right thing," Colonel Potter said. "And I'll tell Major Houlihan; she'll be the difficult one."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Maybe you should give that girl a tranquilizer," Potter said. "She's going to start attracting more attention than we'll want on the situation. And she'll make herself sick again."

"Sure; I think that is a good idea."

An hour later, a plan was in place and a group was assembled in Colonel Potter's office to speak with Margaret.

"I need you to be reasonable about this, Margaret," Colonel Potter said.

"Reasonable? Reasonable!" she shouted.

She was up on her feet and was pacing while BJ, Hawkeye, Elizabeth, and Colonel Potter watched.

"No one was going to tell me that one of my nurses has a drug problem? And I just get to find out that we're shipping her off? I don't even get to be a part of the discussion?" she asked and looked at each one of them in turn.

"Do you feel as if we should be handling this differently, Major?" Colonel Potter asked.

She stopped pacing immediately. "Well, no," she said. "But I would have liked to be asked."

"I'm sorry we didn't stop treating her well-being to come and find you," Hawkeye said.

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm," she replied, her eyes narrowed in his direction.

"Major Houlihan, it's only been a few hours since this all developed," Colonel Potter told her.

"And you—you told me it was a stomach bug!" she accused Elizabeth.

"Margaret, I thought she had too much alcohol. And until she woke up and told me differently, I had no reason to believe otherwise. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I feel like I did the right thing and I would do it again. This girl is a danger to herself and any patients she could be treating. She can't be here—the temptation is too real."

It was hard to argue with her logic. BJ and Hawkeye were silently applauding at Elizabeth behind Margaret's back while the women had a stare down.

Margaret knew everything that she'd just said was the truth, but she was still angry.

"Well, I guess we're done here. See that there is a proper replacement brought in for her," Margaret said before storming out of the room.

"That went pretty well," Colonel Potter said.

Elizabeth shook her head. She knew that Margaret wasn't really mad at her; she was mad at the situation and concerned about Judith Renner and was just taking it out on her. And she felt let out, but she would have done the same thing if she was put in the position.

"I don't think I would have enjoyed the alternative nearly as much," Elizabeth replied.

Colonel Potter looked at her sympathetically, but he was interrupted by Radar rushing into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, sirs and ma'am, but choppers are coming," Radar said. As he said it, helicopters were heard in the distance.

"Its show time," BJ announced to them.

Colonel Potter shoved back in his chair and stood up. "All right, let's get a move on," he said. "We've got some folks to patch up."

…

Author's Note: Let me know what you thought!


	7. Chapter 7

Change

Chapter 7

Nurse Judith Renner was shipped home from the 4077th after a call from Colonel Potter to ICORPS. She wasn't going to be able to be transferred to another unit or hospital and it was probable that she wouldn't be able to keep her nurse's license back in the states either. However, a call to her dad and Elizabeth had managed to secure Judith an honorable discharge. Renner would be able to go home without the incident on her record.

So, despite the shake ups and drama, things got back to the norm at the 4077. And unfortunately, that meant everyone was back in the OR because they'd gotten yet another batch of wounded.

"How long have we been in here?" Elizabeth asked as she continued to put stitches into the patient in front of her. She'd removed at least half a pound of shrapnel from the poor kid's belly, but he was going to make it.

"Starting to tire, Major Lawrence?" Frank Burns asked her with a sarcastic tone to his voice.

"We are _all_ tired, Frank," BJ said.

"_I_ am not tired at all," Frank replied matter-of-factly before being unable to stifle a yawn.

Hawkeye, BJ, Elizabeth and even Margaret chuckled.

"All right, all right, all right!" Max Klinger said as he assisted an orderly carry in another wounded on a stretcher. "After thirteen hours and twenty-two wounded, this, ladies and gents, is our _last_ contestant."

"Thirteen hours?" BJ repeated.

"Yep, thirteen," Klinger told them. "Whose number is up?"

BJ raised a hand. "I'll take the last unwilling and unconscious player," he called.

Klinger and the other medic carried the soldier to BJ. His patient was young and not badly injured. He got to work immediately while the rest of the staff finished on the patients they had.

Another hour and a half later, the doctors were changing out of their scrubs.

"I'm going to sleep for at least twelve hours," Elizabeth said to Margaret.

"Mmmhmm," Margaret replied as she removed her surgical gown.

"I need to find something to eat first, though," Elizabeth added.

"Right…" Margaret replied.

"And then I think I'll run naked through the camp."

"That's a really good idea."

"Margaret, I know you're mad at me and I would really like you to actually listen to me right now."

"Elizabeth, I am not mad at you. I just feel awful for the things I said to you. It's so wonderful; that compassion and concern you showed for my nurse. And I got caught up in how it all affected me. I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

"I'm sorry, too, Margaret. I'm sorry for the whole darn situation. I hope that Renner gets the help she needs. As much as I wish it weren't true, I think she was into the meds a long while before we caught her. And I think her _Dear Jane_ letter pushed her over the edge."

"As much as I wish it were different, I think you're right," Margaret said.

"Knock, knock," Hawkeye said as he pounded on the curtain separating the men and women's changing rooms. "May we speak with the ladies?"

Elizabeth peeked around the curtain and came face to face with Hawkeye.

"Yes, sir?" Elizabeth asked sweetly. "Is there something we could help with?"

"If the rest of you is as gorgeous as that face…"

"Hawkeye…" Elizabeth said, opening the curtain the rest of the way.

"You come here often?" Hawkeye smiled, changing his conversation direction.

Their relationship had quickly become one of both flirting and thinly veiled insults. Hawkeye was already incredibly fond of her and everyone knew it.

"Oh, only when there's a police action. I just love a man in uniform. I heard there were a lot here," Elizabeth smiled.

"I wouldn't be making a habit of that," Hawkeye replied. "Well, we are planning a quick trek to the mess tent for some gruel and we were wondering if you'd both like to join us."

Elizabeth and Margaret looked to one another.

"Although, we don't want to make a habit of going to the mess tent either," Hawkeye said under his breath.

"Margaret, I thought we, uh…"

"Oh…right," Margaret said. "I'll catch up with you later, Elizabeth. I promised Major Burns that we would review a few medical journals today."

"I'll bet I know which journals…" BJ smirked.

"Do us all a favor and make sure you don't skip ahead to the end. Getting there is half the fun," Hawkeye elbowed him.

"You…you…degenerates," Frank grumbled. "Let's go, Margaret."

Frank and Margaret exited the changing room a second later.

"I just don't know what she sees in Major Burns," Elizabeth said.

"We all wonder that from time to time, Lizzie," Colonel Potter said. "But don't think on it too hard, my dear. It'll put you off your food and the food is enough to put you off your food all on its own."

The door opened and Radar joined them. He was wearing his mail bag around his shoulder.

"Radar! Ol' buddy, ol' pal! How are ya doing?" Hawkeye said, hugging him. 

"Geez, you could take it down a bit. Especially in front of the Colonel and the Major," Radar said, clearly embarrassed.

"You have the mail, with you, do you not?" Hawkeye asked.

"Well, yeah…"

Hawkeye laid a kiss on the young man's cheek.

"Aw, yuck!" He groaned as he scrubbed at his cheek with his hand. "Here's your mail and don't…" he tried to threaten.

"What else ya got there, son?" Colonel Potter asked.

"This is yours, Colonel. And a box for BJ and two letters for the Major, uh, Elizabeth."

"Two letters, Bets? I'm jealous. You sending yourself love letters?" he asked as he pointed to the pink envelope in her hand.

Elizabeth accepted the two envelopes, but grimaced as she read the senders.

"How long would it take for these to be returned to their senders?" Elizabeth asked Radar.

"Well, that depends, ma'am. Probably..." he said as he started to count on his fingers.

Elizabeth put a hand on his forearm to stop him.

"Don't worry, Walter. It was more of a rhetorical question," she said as she shoved the envelopes in her pocket. "Food, right?" she asked the men.

"Or as close as the army comes to it," BJ replied.

…

"Aren't you going to read your letters?" BJ asked as they sat down with their trays in the mess tent.

"I wish they'd spontaneously combust, to be perfectly honest," Elizabeth said.

"Those are strong words, Bets," Hawkeye said. "Who are the letters from?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Hmm, looks like we've hit a nerve," BJ said. "Perhaps we should lay off."

"Who _are _you?" Hawkeye asked BJ. "I just want to make her feel better."

"Well, well…" Hawkeye said as he held the two envelopes in his hand.

"Damn it, Hawkeye. Give me those!"

"Bets, maybe you should just read them – pull the thread. Get it over with already. Who is Mary Sue Jones? She sounds…generic."

"Yes…terribly generic," Elizabeth replied.

"Who is she?" Hawkeye asked. "And why does she write on pink stationary?"

"Hawk, maybe you should…" BJ tried.

"Really? You think she should just ignore these terribly important notes?"

"First, these aren't important. And second…these letters are only going to make me mad – well - madder," Elizabeth said. "And you won't like me when I'm angry."

"Darling…" Hawkeye said as he handed her the envelopes. "Just ready the letters, get angry, and get it over with," Hawkeye finished.

"You know what they say: curiosity killed the Hawkeye," BJ told him before he took a bite of his food.

"Fine, fine!" she said. "If you," she pointed to Hawkeye. "If you promise to shut up about it and neither of you will repeat what I'm about to say."

Both of them held up their right hands in an oath.

"Mary Sue Jones is…was…was my best friend. And she is no longer my friend because she was having an affair with my fiancé and they are now married. This lovely pink stationary I bought her so she could write to me while I was away in medical school. And this…this letter is from John Jones…my former fiancé. And I don't wish to read either of letter because I have a strong dislike that is bordering on hate for the both of them. Now, please let me eat whatever this is and move on with my life," she said as she shoved the unopened letters into her pocket once more.

Both men were silenced by Elizabeth's admission. They pursued the line of questioning no further. They all finished their meals in total silence.

…

After they finished their meals, BJ and Hawkeye headed back to their tent and left Elizabeth to go back to her tent and stew by herself. BJ began to change out of his clothes; he was ready to lay down and sleep for hours. He was down to his skivvies when he noticed that Hawkeye was sitting on the edge of his bed and staring contemplatively at his boots.

"What's with you?" BJ asked.

"I'm just baffled by the idiot that would leave a good girl like Bets behind," Hawkeye told him.

"It surprises you that a man has done something stupid?" BJ asked as he sat down on his own bed.

"She's just…"

"Believe me, I know how you feel about Elizabeth Lawrence," BJ smiled at his friend.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "I'm over that, Beej. We're just friend. But she's such a smart cookie. And beautiful," he said. "This guy has to be a dunce."

"Some guys just don't have a clue what they have," BJ said. "I thank the man upstairs every day that I have Peggy. But not everyone is as smart as I am."

"Or half as humble about it," Hawkeye replied.

"That's true, too," BJ said with a smug look on his face.

"What could those two have possibly needed to say to her?" Hawkeye said. "I just don't think she deserves…"

"You have no idea what those letters say and there is a very strong chance you'll _never_ know," BJ said. "And that's the way it should be. That is her personal business. And I like Elizabeth just fine, but what do you really know about her?"

"What are you saying?" Hawkeye asked in an accusatory tone.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm not saying anything. Well, I'm saying you should butt out and let it alone," BJ said. "If she wants our help, she'll ask."

Hawkeye nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right…" he said as he stood up from his bunk. "I'm going to talk with her again."

"Hawk…you're going to push her and she'll end up too far away," BJ said.

He was up and out of the tent totally ignoring everything his friend had said.

…

Hawkeye first checked Elizabeth's tent and found it standing empty. He'd done a cursory search of the surfaces in her tent, but he found nothing. He skipped searching through the drawers – he was curious, but not enough to go through her things.

"Has anyone seen Elizabeth?" he asked while he walked past a group of nurses.

Kellye nodded. "She was heading towards the showers."

"Thanks!" he said as he headed in that direction.

Hawkeye let himself into the women's showers unconcerned that he was unwelcome in there. Luckily, Elizabeth was the only one in the building until he walked in.

"Seriously?" Elizabeth asked when she turned around and her eyes met Hawkeye.

"Hello to you, too, dollface."

"Please forgive me for not being kind to the man intruding on my shower. What do you want?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're too good for this petty nonsense, Bets."

"Petty?"

"I mean that in an extremely affectionate way, Bets," he replied.

"I'm sure you do. But you only know of the tip of the iceberg, Hawkeye. And what did we learn from the Titanic?"

"Are you saying you're a sinking ship?"

"No. I'm saying if you don't quit pushing you'll be sleeping with the fishes."

Hawkeye grinned. "You know, you're adorable when you're threatening my life. But seriously, you ought to just…"

"I _did _read them; not that it's any of your business," Elizabeth told him.

"And?"

She sighed. "They're in my pocket over there," she pointed before going back to washing the soap from her hair.

Hawkeye stood still. "Is that permission to read them?"

"Ugh, you're relentless. Yes."

Hawkeye grabbed the papers from the pocket of her robe and hungrily read them. He was mid-way through the pink letter when he let out a loud bark of laughter. He re-read it and clutched the letter to his chest while he laughed hysterically.

"All of that was bull?"

"What?"

"All that jazz about the fiancé cheating on you with your best friend stuff?" he said. "She's asking you how you starched his shirts. And what the ingredients in your meatloaf are…?"

He was still laughing and it took him a long few minutes to realize that she wasn't.

"You mean…?" he asked, giving her the side eye.

She nodded. "She's _that_ dumb."

"She married your fiancé and is now asking you for your housekeeping tips?"

Elizabeth shrugged and turned around under the water again to rinse off the soap.

"You think that one is funny; wait until you read the one from John…"

Elizabeth turned off the water and leaned on the edge of the stall while she waited for Hawkeye to finish reading. She made sure she was covered while he read; finding it a little flattering that he was trying to sneak a peek at her.

"Is this guy for real?" he asked. _"I should never have left you for Mary Sue. Sure, she's cute and makes a mean lemon meringue pie, but she's nothing to talk to. I could have deep, meaningful conversations with you and you could starch a shirt like no one's business. And Mary Sue, well, she's always talking about her nails or the next shoes she wants to buy. As if shoes have anything to do with my practice…"_ Hawkeye read. "His practice?"

"He's a podiatrist. Went into practice with his father."

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "No offense, but this guy sounds like a real loser."

Elizabeth finally laughed.

"How long ago did all this happen?"

"Not long ago. I would love to know where they got my address from, though. My dad wanted to run him over with a jeep…"

"I'm thinking that was a good idea. Are you all right?"

"I'm gonna give Mary Sue the Igor's meatloaf recipe and wish her good luck and then get my picture taken with the tallest, strongest corporal and send it to John and wish him good luck. Hopefully he's got a strong stomach."

"He'll need it if this Mary Sue makes him the meatloaf with the army's recipe," Hawkeye said. "I'm sorry I pushed you so hard on this. I'm just a believer in…"

"It's okay, Hawkeye, really," she said. "I do feel better. Cold now, but better."

"I'll get outta here so you can…you know…unless you want some help," he waggled his eyebrows. The old and flirtatious Hawkeye was coming back. And that's how their relationship worked.

"I think I'm all set on my own, at least for now," she smiled back.

The door opened to the shower building and Margaret walked in, carrying her shower things.

"Pierce!" Margaret shouted. "What have I told you _repeatedly_ about being in here? These are the ladies' showers!"

Hawkeye tucked the letters back into Elizabeth's robe pocket and grinned in Margaret's direction.

"I thought you were...reading…with Frank."

She narrowed her eyes in Hawkeye's direction; not finding him humorous.

"He…uh…fell asleep."

"I hate it when that happens!" Elizabeth said.

"I know what you mean, Bets," Hawkeye said. "Right in the middle of a page-turner and suddenly: zonk! Out like a light."

Elizabeth joined Hawkeye in laughter.

"It isn't funny…and you're still in here, Pierce! Get out!"

"I'll see you later, toots!" he winked as he exited the building.

"Not if I see you first!" Elizabeth called after him.

"You know, you really shouldn't encourage him. He didn't try anything, did he? I could have him court martialed in an instant…" Margaret told her. "Besides, he…gets around."

Elizabeth shook her head while she reached for her towel. "That is totally unnecessary, Margaret. Even though he went about it in a pushy way, he was well-meaning. He was just being a good friend."

…

Hawkeye returned to the Swamp with a spring in his step and a grin on his face. BJ immediately was curious.

"Did you find her?" BJ asked.

"Sure did," he nodded. "Showers."

"And is she still speaking to you?"

"Affirmative, my friend. Affirmative."

BJ cocked an eyebrow. "Well, good for you, buddy. Not the path that I would have taken, but…"

"It worked out," Hawkeye smiled.

The PA squeaked as it came to life. "Colonel Potter needs to see Majors Lawrence and Burns and Captains Pierce and Hunnicut in his office on the double!" Radar's voice called out.

"Called to the principal's office," BJ sighed.

"I haven't even done anything yet today," Hawkeye groused.

"Maybe the Colonel is psychic now," BJ replied.

…

"I need a volunteer to go up to the 8063rd tomorrow and help out for a few days. Whoever goes will ride up on the bus with the patients being transported and there's a convoy coming back in a week that'll bring the doc back. The 8063rd has also been gracious enough to agree to share some of their supplies with us. I'd like someone who knows what they're looking at to make sure it's the right stuff and not a box full of packing peanuts," the Colonel said.

"I went the last time," Frank told them all immediately.

"No, you didn't. I did," Hawkeye said.

"No, no, I'm very certain…" Frank began again.

"Ahem," the Colonel said to get everyone's attention. The noise in the room stopped immediately.

"Radar?" the Colonel said as Radar stepped into the room. "Would you…?" he started before Radar started.

"Last time we sent a doc out, it was BJ. Before that Major Burns and Hawkeye before that," Radar answered before Colonel Potter could finish his statement.

"Then it's my turn," Elizabeth smiled.

"I don't …" the Colonel began.

"It's only fair, Colonel," Frank said. "She's a doctor, too. She'll join us in the rotation."

"Burns, sometimes I…"

"Colonel Potter, I'd be pleased to go. No need to worry. How long will I be gone?"

"A week. You'll leave in the morning, then," the colonel told her.

She nodded. "No problem. I'd better go get packed."

…

Author's Note: Okay! There was the latest installment. What do you think? I'd love to know!


	8. Chapter 8

CHANGE

Chapter 8

Hawkeye paced in Colonel Potter's office. It was after eight at night on the day that Elizabeth was supposed to be back.

"The convoy should have been back by now. A couple hours ago, really. Where the hell are they?" Hawkeye complained.

Colonel Potter sat behind his desk and BJ sat in a chair next to the stressed-out Hawkeye.

"You're wearing a rut in my floor, son," Potter told him.

He stopped for a moment to open the door to the outer office where Radar sat. He was wearing his headset – waiting for a call to come in.

"Anything, Radar?"

"Nothing yet, Hawkeye."

Hawkeye closed his eyes in silent frustration. Elizabeth should be back by now. While it had only been mere weeks, they had become terrific friends. He should have volunteered to take his turn again. But he didn't.

Sure, there was an underlying sexual tension between the two of them that both chose to ignore. While he could see himself married to the woman for a couple of eternities, her friendship meant more to him. He'd never felt so strongly for a woman.

He ducked back into Potter's office. "We should be doing something. Anything!"

Colonel Potter stood to pour the three of them a drink. That's when the sounds of the helicopters echoed in the distance.

"I think they're playing our song," BJ said.

The men exited the office and waited while the sounds of the helicopters and buses grew closer to them.

All of them spotted Elizabeth a moment later. She was running triage outside one of the buses and she was caked in both mud and blood.

BJ went to assist Klinger carrying a patient while Hawkeye moved to Elizabeth's side.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, Bets, but where is all this blood from?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I've lost track. The convoy I was with hit with sniper fire. This one needs the OR now. Hole in his shoulder and another in the right chest. I packed it before we moved out, but he needs your hands, Hawk."

Hawkeye knew something was wrong – besides the obvious.

"Were _you_ hit?" he asked while he looked her over. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine – fine," she hissed. "He has to go under now if we are going to save him. And the bullet might have shattered his clavicle."

He didn't believe her for a second, but for the time being, he had to because the wounded needed help.

Elizabeth watched Hawkeye move the patient with an orderly and she used the semi-clean back of her hand to wipe the sweat and mud from her forehead.

The convoy had brought in a dozen wounded and another half dozen that hadn't made it through the surprise attack. Elizabeth had been the only medical professional on the convoy; she'd tended to all of them for the duration of the day until the sniper fire had ceased and they could safely move out. And it turned out they were closer to the 4077th.

Elizabeth made herself move and head to the scrub room. She cleaned and scrubbed the best she could, but she'd probably already cross-contaminated everyone while she tried to contain the bleeding wounds.

She jumped in to work in the OR and did the cutting on three of the men she'd brought in without batting an eye.

One of the wounded under Frank's care crashed and they were unable to bring him back. Suddenly the faces of the six men she'd already lost in the field flooded her vision. She'd been doing her best to keep working, but it was overwhelming and her vision clouded with tears. She put the final stitch in the current patient and the tears began to flow. She began to audibly sob and all eyes turned to her.

"Elizabeth? Bets?" Hawkeye called to her but she didn't acknowledge him as she left the OR behind. Her head was hung low and it looked as though she was struggling to hold herself up.

Colonel Potter was the first person to speak.

"Pierce, go check on her. Help her calm down. I'll close up here," he pointed to Hawkeye's patient.

Hawkeye didn't argue; he nodded and dashed from the room while removing his gloves and mask.

"Klinger! Which way did she go?"

"Looked like she was heading to her tent, but I'm not sure. Is she okay?"

"No."

Hawkeye ran to the other end of the camp. He needed to get to her. He ripped open the door to her tent so hard it almost came off its hinges.

He found her staring into space, still covered in dirt and mud. It was caked into her hair and all over her. Tears left clean streaks down her face while she hiccupped uncontrollably.

"Elizabeth? Bets?" he asked cautiously. "Do you mind if I come in?"

She made a small sound, like that of a child. He took it as acknowledgement and walked to her. He pulled her into his arms and she began to fight him.

"No! No!" she shouted while she tried to push him away.

"What's the matter?" Hawkeye asked her. "What happened?"

He was trying to check her for wounds while he held her, but she collapsed into sobs once more, her body shaking.

"Shh, shh. It's okay," he whispered into her ear.

Hawkeye held her for ten minutes and just let her be silent. But he really needed to know what happened.

"Bets, I need you to tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?"

She shook her head no.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up?" Hawkeye was trying a different approach.

She sobbed again. "I'm so tired and…" she trailed off.

"You can't sleep covered in mud. Come on – let's get you to the showers."

"I don't want…" she started. "I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be alone, honey. Ol' Hawkeye is here. And we'll go to the men's showers and I'll stand guard outside."

"No – I don't want to be left alone." She suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders and looked in his eyes. "Don't leave me."

Hawkeye nodded. "I won't. I'll have BJ or Radar stand guard. I'll help you and won't leave you. Let's get you some things."

He stared around the room. Hawkeye had no clue where to begin looking for toiletries. Eventually after opening drawers and her trunk, she pointed him to where she kept a shower caddy of sorts.

"Okay, come on," Hawkeye said as he helped her to her feet and let her use him for support.

"Hawkeye, I just want to go to sleep," Elizabeth said.

"Bets, you need a good shower first; you'll feel better," he said. "I can at least promise an okay shower at this point," Hawkeye told her.

He opened the door with his foot and helped Elizabeth out into the night once more.

BJ was coming out of the OR and spotted the two of them. He rushed over to them.

"How are you?" BJ asked her.

Elizabeth was still quietly staring at her blood-covered boots.

"She doesn't want to talk about it now. I'm going to commandeer the men's showers. Will you stand guard outside?"

BJ nodded. "Of course."

The men helped Elizabeth the rest of the way to the showers and Hawkeye went inside to see if it was empty. He told the two men inside to leave.

"Come on!" one complained. "The women have their own showers!"

"Yeah, doc!" the other one shouted.

"Get out!" Hawkeye said. "I'm not asking."

The two angry and confused corporals dashed out of the building, clutching their towels around themselves.

"You go in and get under the hot water. I'm going to talk with BJ real quick."

She nodded slightly and hesitantly left his side.

"I think she's in shock," Hawkeye said quietly once she'd walked inside.

BJ nodded. "That would be my diagnosis, as well," he told him. "She's not hurt?"

Hawkeye shrugged. "I don't think so, but she won't tell me anything."

"You don't think…?" BJ trailed off.

"I don't know what I think right now, Beej. I should probably go make sure she hasn't drowned in there."

Elizabeth had made it into her shower – her blood and mud-covered fatigues in a pile. But she just stood under the water, not moving.

"Come on," Hawkeye said, climbing into the shower stall next to her. "Get closer to the water. We need to get the mud out of your beautiful hair."

She blinked at him as if she was only noticing him now. "Hawkeye?"

"Yeah, Bets?" he replied as he began to put soap in her hair.

"Thank you."

His long sleeves were becoming soaked, but he didn't care – she needed him.

"Anything for you, Bets."

…

Hawkeye had given Elizabeth a sleeping pill and put her to bed while BJ and he stood guard over her. She was snoring softly before either said anything to each other.

"What do you think happened?" BJ asked.

Hawkeye shook his head, hands on his hips.

"I honestly…I don't know. I tried to check her without making her more uncomfortable, but all the blood was washing off and it didn't look like any of it had come from her. I guess someone could have attacked her, but…"

She whimpered quietly in her sleep and both men turned to look at her. Her face, while still asleep, was frowning.

"I'll go talk with the CO. He came out of the whole thing with just a broken arm and a dislocated shoulder. I'll see if he can shed some light on the situation. You all right here?"

Hawkeye sat in the camp chair and crossed his legs. "Yeah," he said as he picked up a magazine that was laying out. "I'm fine."

BJ clapped him on the shoulder and quietly left the tent. He headed straight for post-op.

…

"She was amazing out there, Colonel," the man told them.

He was bandaged and he wore a cast on his left arm, but his free arm was active.

"I know it musta been awful for her…"

"What do you mean?" BJ asked. "What happened to the lady?"

The bullets started coming at us from all directions. She was in the jeep with me and two of my men and we were the second of five vehicles. Well, we wanted to move, but they had us pinned. The lieutenant she was next to covered her, being she was unarmed. He took the both of them down into a ditch full of muck and mud to try and protect her. None of us had seen this coming – things have been quiet for days. We'd even all tossed our helmets in the back so we couldn't reached them. Well, Hemsworth, he got hit – he was the one up front with me – he took a shot to the shoulder. And Kranz, he was down in the ditch with the doc. He climbed out to bring Hemsworth down for the doc to check out and he took a slug to the side of his head. He collapsed back on her and despite getting the wind knocked outta her, she was able to get him off her and she tried so hard. She was covered in blood and the rain had kicked up just long enough to make the mud even worse, but Kranz was gone before she could even start working on him. And she helped every single one of the wounded – we tried to help if we could, but she was a one-woman force and she looked at every single one of the wounded. Would you let her know that I'm going to put her in for a medal for heroism? Not many folks – man or woman – would do that."

Colonel Potter nodded. "You just rest now. Thanks for telling us the tale, son."

He and BJ walked away.

"I think we know why Lizzie's a bit shaken up now, Hunnicut. Pierce is gonna stay with her tonight?"

"That's the plan," BJ said. "That's a hell of a lot to have forced on you, Colonel."

"Well, that woman is made of strong stock, Hunnicut. Don't count her out just yet. Some people just need a bit of time to recuperate."

"I wouldn't dream of underestimating her, Colonel. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd be reacting the same way if I'd been in her combat boots out there."

…

Author's note: What's going through your heads?! Let me know! Too intense? I'd love to know what you're thinking!


	9. Chapter 9

CHANGE

Chapter 9

The light filtered into the tent and Elizabeth pulled the blankets over her eyes. How could it be morning already? She felt groggy and sore and she realized she wasn't alone. A snore erupted from something – er – someone and she peeked over the blanket cautiously to see who it was.

Hawkeye.

Just Hawkeye.

What happened last night? Her head was heavy, her mouth was dry and her body was sore. Why was Hawkeye asleep in the chair in her tent?

She began to stand and it all suddenly came flooding back. She gasped as she remembered.

Elizabeth sat down on the bed again, shaking. In an instant, Hawkeye was awake and sitting next to her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," he said gently.

"I could say the same to you," she offered him without a smile.

"How are you feeling this morning, gorgeous?"

She blinked at him. "Did you give me something last night?"

He nodded. "A sleeping pill. Just so you could get to sleep quickly," he said. "I think once you are up to it, Margaret should check you over. Things were a little harried last night and you need a once over just like everyone else on the convoy."

"I'm fine," she replied quickly.

"I think you should get a quick check up," Hawkeye said.

"I wasn't injured, Hawkeye," Elizabeth told him. "I'm really fine."

"So no one…no one…" he trailed off.

"No – no," Elizabeth furrowed her brow. "It was just…"

"BJ told me, Bets. I know what happened out there. And…"

Elizabeth sighed deeply. "You know?"

"You managed to keep a lot of men out there, Bets. No one would have expected –"

"Expected what?"

"You were the _only_ doctor out there; you had a lot of wounded, little to no emergency supplies and one hell of a situation out there."

"Hawkeye, if I weren't there, Kranz would have not tried to protect me. He would have not had to worry about me. He would not have had to worry about me. And – he reached to pull Hemsworth down to me so I could help him. He would have…"

"He probably would have tried to pull his buddy down into the ditch with him even if you weren't there. You were not the reason that any of this happened. And it could have just as easily happened to me or Beej or Frank. And if you hadn't been there – you kept a lot of them alive because you were."

She nodded. "But, it's just…"

"Tell me," Hawkeye told her. "Please just tell me."

"Kranz – Thom – and I had become fast friends. He was assigned to make sure I was all right and once this was all over, he was headed to Seoul and back home to his fiancée so he could get married. And…"

A single tear fell from her eye.

"And now – now someone will be telling this poor girl that the man she was saving herself for – her true love – was going to be coming home in a casket. He got hit on the side of his head and…and…there was nothing that could have been done, Hawkeye," she said as she started to cry.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Hawkeye rubbed her back and whispered that things would be okay. And he knew he'd be making a call to Sidney Freeman soon.

…

It was hours before Elizabeth finally emerged from her tent. She'd sent Hawkeye on – she wanted to wallow alone in her sadness for a bit.

Luckily, no wounded came in that day.

Elizabeth dressed and moved to the mess tent. It was time to join her friends and she was finally hungry.

"Well, look who it is," BJ said as she approached the table that the group was seated around.

"Is it all right if I join you all?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course!" Margaret said a bit too over-enthusiastically.

Elizabeth smiled shyly and sat down.

"How are you feeling, Lizzie dear?" Colonel Potter asked her.

"Just a couple of pulled muscles and bruises. Nothing to write home about," Elizabeth said.

"So…" Frank started. "Ow!" he shouted. "Okay! Who kicked me?! Someone kicked me under the table!" he shouted as he stood.

"Sit down, Frank," Margaret told him.

"My foot must've slipped, Frnak," BJ told him without sincerity. "Gee, I'm sorry."

Frank sneered. "I don't believe you."

BJ shrugged. "Oh, well."

"Could you two put a lid on it for a minute? I have something I should tell Lizzie here."

"Colonel – I don't think now is the best time…" Hawkeye started.

"Nonsense. Maybe this'll cheer Lizzie up."

"I doubt that," Hawkeye muttered under his breath.

"Lizzie, I mean, Elizabeth," the Colonel said as he stood. "The US Army is awarding you the bronze heart for your work yesterday."

"Colonel, that's very kind, but with all due respect, I don't want it."

"What?" Frank spat.

"Not that I want to make a habit outta this, but – what he said," the Colonel pointed with his thumb. "Why don't you want it?"

"I don't think now is the best time for us to discuss this," Hawkeye inserted himself into the discussion. He'd glanced around and noticed that all of the eyes in the room were focused on their table.

By now, discussion of what had happened last night had made its way through the ranks of the camp. And most of what people had heard was actually true – which was mostly unheard of at the 4077. However, people were still curious and therefore they'd all stopped talking to hear what was going on.

"Yes, I think you're right, Pierce. I want to speak with you in my office later, Lizzie," he said while he looked down at his watch. "Be there at nineteen hundred hours."

Colonel Potter then proceeded to pick up his tray and exit the mess tent.

Elizabeth suffered through the rest of the meal terribly uncomfortably and as soon as she'd choked down as much of it as she could stand, she excused herself.

Naturally, the discussion of the situation continued once she'd vacated the table.

"It's spitting in the face of the United States Army to reject an award like that. But if she won't take it, I'll accept it on her behalf," Frank announced.

"I'm fairly certain that it doesn't work like that," BJ said. "What's the big deal anyway? If she doesn't want it, she shouldn't have to accept it."

"What do you know?" Frank sneered.

"Do we really have to keep talking about this?" Hawkeye asked them all.

"I agree," Margaret said.

"You what?" Frank exclaimed.

"I just don't think it's appropriate to discuss her without her present," Margaret said. "She _is_ our friend."

"And we ought to cut her some slack," Hawkeye said.

Frank shook his head and rolled his eyes. "We've all been through…"

Hawkeye slammed his hands down on the table, rattling everything and making Margaret shriek. "_None_ of us have been through what she went through yesterday."

"What is your problem?"

"Hawk…" BJ started.

"Just—just lay off her, okay?" Hawkeye said, settling down once more.

…

In the swamp, Hawkeye sat on his bunk, eyeing the still that sat on the table between his bed and BJ's. It was the middle of the day, but he was trying to come up with a reason why he shouldn't actually drink. He finally stood and helped himself to a healthy glass of the booze that BJ had brewed overnight.

"Knock, knock," Father Mulcahy said from outside the tent.

"Ah, Father, please come in. Welcome to my humble abode," Hawkeye said while the Father walked into the tent. "What do I owe your visit today?"

Father Mulcahy smiled.

"Well, I just wanted to see how Major Lawrence was feeling and thought I would check in with you first, since you seem to have a closer relationship with her…" Father Mulcahy said. "I understand she's had quite a rough couple of days."

Hawkeye took a healthy drink from his martini glass and then nodded. "Yes, she has."

"Do you think she'd like to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Hawkeye said. "She talked with me briefly, but I'm not sure she wants to talk with anyone right now. It was pretty traumatic…"

The father looked a bit put-out, but nodded. "Well, you've gotten to know her the best; I'll defer to your judgement on this one, but I'll be around if you need me."

"Thank you, father," Hawkeye said. "I'll let you know."

Father Mulcahy smiled and nodded and left the tent.

…

Elizabeth wandered over to Colonel Potter's office ten minutes early. She walked into the room and Radar was sewing up part of his bear, or at least he was trying to. He stuck his thumb with the needle when Elizabeth walked in.

"Hi Radar," Elizabeth smiled.

He hurriedly stuffed the bear, needle and thread into a desk drawer and stood at attention.

"Oh, Radar," Elizabeth said. "Don't worry about that."

He put his hand down and smiled.

"Do you need some help stitching that up?" Elizabeth said. "I don't know if you knew this, but I'm fairly good at sewing…"

"I, uh…what are you talking about?"

"Come on, Walter. Your bear," she said, before taking the bear and sewing implements out of the drawer.

He blushed a soft pink. "You probably think its real silly – you know, me having a stuffed toy…"

Elizabeth had sat down in one of the chairs and proceeded to continue to stitch up the bear. "I don't think it's silly at all, Walter. I have a stuffed cat named Kristine," she said.

"You do?" he asked, a hopeful twinge to his voice.

"Sure do. I've had her since I was eight years old. She goes everywhere with me," Elizabeth told him. "This bear sure looks well-loved, too."

"Um, yeah…" Radar said. "I've had him as long as I can remember."

Elizabeth made quick work of stitching up the seam and handed the bear back to Radar. "All better."

"Thanks, Maj – Elizabeth," Radar said.

"No problem."

To be honest, it's the best she'd felt since returning to the 4077. She didn't have to think about what had happened the night before and she was very comfortable talking with young Radar o'Reilly.

She looked down to her watch in her wrist. It was time to speak with Colonel Potter. "Well, I'm due to talk with the man in charge. I'll talk with you later, Walter."

Elizabeth knocked on the door and walked into Colonel Potter's office.

"Good evening, Colonel Potter," Elizabeth said.

Colonel Potter stood upon her arrival. "Please, have a seat, Lizzie."

She immediately complied and waited for the colonel to tell her she had to take the medal.

"Well, Lizzie, I'd like to talk with you about yesterday. Is that all right?" Colonel Potter asked. "Would you like a drink?"

She shook her head. "No. No thank you."

"I hope you don't mind if I have one."

"Of course not."

"Well, my dear," he said as he poured himself a healthy glass. "I just wanted to see how you're feeling. We all know the kind of trip you had and…"

"I would just like to move on, to be perfectly honest. I didn't do anything different than what you or Hawkeye or BJ would have done in the same situation," Elizabeth said. "I'm not ungrateful; I'm just trying to move on. It wasn't a big heroic gesture. I'm a doctor and I took care of the people that needed me. Well – most of them."

"Lizzie, that's the hardest part of our job. Some of them aren't going to make it. No matter what we do."

Elizabeth sighed deeply. "I know, but…"

"There are no buts. Through no fault of you or me, some of the wounded that come to us are going to be too wounded. Some of the patients aren't going to make it. This is my third war and it's never any easier. We all fight the good fight. We do the best we can – you just get through it."

"Everyone said that to me at mom's funeral," Elizabeth said. "It's not something you can get over – just something you get through. Hell, I think she told me that when my grandmother passed."

"Your mother was a wise woman. She's the reason you became a doctor, if I remember correctly?" the Colonel asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "I wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to help people who were in pain."

"And you don't think you accomplished that last night?" he asked her. "You tended to a dozen and a half men who were scared and in pain. And more than half of them are going to walk out of this place on their own in a couple days because you…_you_…were there. You put your won fears aside and tended to each one of them. They're all here in post-op wondering if you're actually Super Woman."

Elizabeth finally smiled. "Thank you."

"So, you'll accept the medal?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, thank you, sir. I think that Kranz should get the medal, or at least his fiancée should get it," Elizabeth told him.

He nodded. "That's very kind of you, but he was going to receive a medal posthumously regardless."

"I want his fiancée to have mine, too. Please."

"Okay, Lizzie, as you wish."

"Is it all right if I go now?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll see you in the morning, my dear," the Colonel said.

Elizabeth left the office and found Radar finishing some paperwork at his desk.

"You have a good night, Walter," she told him.

"You, too, Major – Elizabeth, ma'am."

…

Author's Note: Well, there is the newest chapter. Let me know what you thought!


	10. Chapter 10

CHANGE

Chapter 10

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Sidney," Hawkeye said. He'd called for the psychiatrist, Sidney Freedman, as soon as Elizabeth had sent him out of her tent the day before. He knew that she'd not be pleased with him, but if there was anyone that could help her get past this, it was Sidney.

"Of course, Hawkeye. You said it was important…and urgent…" Sidney Freedman smiled. He turned and grabbed his brief case and duffel from the back of the jeep. "So, I figured this woman must mean a lot to you…"

"It's not like that, Sidney."

The psychiatrist looked genuinely surprised. "It isn't?"

"Whether you choose to believe it or not, we're just friends," Hawkeye told him as they walked further into the camp.

"How do you feel about that?"

"Listen, bud, I didn't bring ya here to analyze _me_," Hawkeye said.

Sidney grinned under his moustache. "Well, why don't we just see how it goes? How does she feel about you calling me in?"

Hawkeye looked down to his feet, then back up to Sidney. "She doesn't actually know that you're coming…"

"Oh, well, this should be fun," he deadpanned. "I could sure use a good cup of coffee – you know since you got me out here so early," he changed the subject.

Hawkeye smiled. "Well, we don't have anything like that here. But we could get you a mug of the crude oil."

Sidney smiled and shook his head. "I'll take whatever you've got," he laughed.

"Maybe we ought to have _you_ checked out," Hawkeye laughed.

…

A lieutenant came to take Sidney's bags and the two men moved toward the mess tent.

Inside the tent, Elizabeth was sitting with Margaret, both of them had a cup of coffee and a bowl of tan mush – the oatmeal – sitting in front of them.

"Good morning, ladies," Hawkeye smiled in their directions. "We have a guest today," he pointed towards Sidney with his elbow.

"Doctor Freedman," Margaret smiled while she stood. "It's nice to see you again. Elizabeth, this is Doctor Sidney Freedman, a wonderful psychiatrist. Doctor Freedman, this is Doctor Elizabeth Lawrence."

Elizabeth gave Hawkeye a distinct side-eye that Doctor Freedman did not miss. But she extended her hand and shook Sidney's outstretched one.

"It is very nice to meet you, Doctor Freedman."

"Oh, please call me Sidney," he smiled. "I didn't mean to interrupt your breakfast, Doctor Lawrence."

"Oh no worries, it's not much of a breakfast. And please, call me Elizabeth. Tell me, how long will you be staying with us, Sidney?"

"A few days, I think. I like to come here, lose a few bucks in a poker game, drink the rocket fuel they make in the Swamp and escape the rest of the war," Sidney told her.

She nodded and smiled.

"Well, I'll get us some coffee. Can I bring you a refill, Bets?" Hawkeye asked.

She smiled sweetly in his direction.

"I'm all set. Thank you, though, Doctor Pierce."

He knew he was in trouble from the tone she'd used. But he still felt he was right in calling for Sidney.

"Will you both please excuse me? I'm due to be in post-op in five minutes," Margaret told them.

"Of course," they replied together.

Sidney stood as Margaret did and sat once she'd left.

"So – Hawkeye called you in about me," she said with an amused smirk.

"Very perceptive," Sidney smirked back while arching a single eyebrow. "How do you feel about that?"

"Oh, well, I'd like to be upset, and I suppose I am, to an extent, but I also find it incredibly touching to have the kind of support that these folks have given me."

Sidney nodded. "There are a lot of caring folks in this compound," he agreed.

"And while I really appreciate that he brought you here, I just…" she trailed off as Hawkeye walked up to them once more. "I'll catch up with you gentlemen later. It's been wonderful to meet you, Doctor Freedman."

She smiled once more while she picked up her tray. She deposited it and exited the tent.

"So…?" Hawkeye asked.

"So what?"

"Is she all right?"

"I think she's fine, but I'll want to talk with her more later. You – you on the other hand are in hot water, buddy. Something going on between you two?" Sidney asked.

Hawkeye gave him a dirty look.

"Hey – professional hazard. She means something to you – any dummy could see that just by watching you two – but you went to some extreme lengths to get me out here to talk with her. That's over and above."

"Yeah – so why are you talking with me then?" Hawkeye asked, leaning his elbows down on the table.

"Perhaps – never mind," he said. "BJ!" Sidney said as the tall doctor joined them in the mess tent.

"Doctor Sidney Freedman! To what do we owe the pleasure? Oh, I know," BJ said as he shook Sidney's hand and looked at Hawkeye.

"What?" Hawkeye shrugged in a 'who me?' kind of fashion.

"You called Sidney here to talk to Elizabeth. How does she feel about being psychoanalyzed without her permission?" BJ asked.

"He's found himself in some deep…" Sidney started.

"He likes her, you know," BJ smiled.

"Oh, I know," Sidney replied.

"He can hear you, ya know?" Hawkeye groused.

"Interesting," Sidney said while stroking his moustache.

Hawkeye was up in an instant. "Oh, no you don't! You're not going to turn this around on me!"

"Hawkeye, what would you say has made you so anxious and paranoid? Is he getting enough sleep?" Sidney asked BJ.

"I think he could do with more sleep, less war…" BJ said.

"Ugh!" Hawkeye said. "I've had enough of you two hens. Cluck away!"

He let out an exasperated huff and exited the tent to a chorus of BJ and Sidney chuckling.

…

Night was falling before Sidney Freedman saw Elizabeth Lawrence again. He had wandered to the mess tent for a cup of coffee and found her engrossed in conversation with Father Mulcahy. They were the only other people in the tent. He sat down with his cup; he couldn't hear what was being said, but he could tell she was finding comfort in what the Father was saying to her.

"Father, I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to me, even though I'm Lutheran and not Catholic," Elizabeth told him.

"Elizabeth, I'm pleased you wanted to talk with me."

"I think you're the only one who can help me, Father. I just – I just feel so guilty. Lieutenant Kranz was hit and he didn't have much time. He wasn't making much sense – he really wasn't there. He kept calling me Stephanie. That's his fiancée's name. He told me he loved me, thinking I was Stephanie. I didn't – I didn't know what to do, so I told him I loved him, too. He kept apologizing for not being able to make it to the wedding. I just told him it was all right and I kept telling him I loved him. He died just a few minutes later in my arms. I lied to a dying man."

"No, no," Father Mulcahy said, putting his hand on hers. "You provided comfort to a man who needed it. There wasn't anything you could have done to prevent the physical pain, but you were able to administer some mental comfort."

"But…"

"You comforted him – you told him what he needed to hear. He believed you were Stephanie. And Stephanie likely would have said those very words."

"If I did what I needed to, why do I feel so guilty?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because you're human, just like the rest of us."

"I don't know if you know this, but you're a very wise man, Father."

"It's easy to sound wise when you've got Him on your side," he pointed upward. "And while you're at it, have a little faith in yourself, Elizabeth. And cut yourself some slack. I've had to learn it, too, but not everyone can be saved – physically or spiritually. It feels like failure, but what I've had to learn here is to look at the other side. You lost a few, not because you didn't care or you didn't try, but because of the circumstances. And because you put your own safety aside and showed your dedication to helping others, eleven men are going to be okay. Don't just focus on the bad things, that isn't want He'd want you to do."

She nodded, accepting his explanation. "I was thinking of writing a letter to Lieutenant Kranz's fiancée. Is that silly?"

The Father smiled. "Why would that be silly? I think is a wonderful idea."

"I'm going to send my medal to her as well," Elizabeth said.

He nodded. "I think that's a very touching sentiment."

"I want her to have it. It's not a husband, but it's a symbol of the man he was. He died trying to protect me and his friend. And I think that's very important. Would you read it over before I send it?"

The Father smiled at him. "Of course I will."

Sidney had overheard enough. There was nothing wrong with Elizabeth Lawrence. She just had to find the right person to talk to and the right way to express what she was feeling. And judging by the smile on her face, she'd found that person with Father Mulcahy.

…

"What do you mean you're leaving? You haven't even talked to her," Hawkeye said as Sidney Freedman loaded his things into the back of a waiting jeep.

"She doesn't need me, Hawkeye. And the 8063rd does. She found what she needed. Or at least had what she already knew reaffirmed. And the other MASH unit has someone who _actually_ needs me."

"What?"

"Your Elizabeth Lawrence is going to be just fine. I'm so sure I'd put money on it," Sidney said. "Have a little faith."

He climbed into the jeep, and despite the late hour, they took off in the direction that led them out of the camp.

Hawkeye was still standing there, dumbfounded when Elizabeth emerged from the OR building.

She smiled at him was she walked towards him and gave him a peck on the cheek. He was unfrozen by her action and his face broke into a smile.

"What was that for?" he asked. "Not that I minded…" he waggled his eyebrows.

"Just as a thank you – for being so worried about me," Elizabeth said. "Even though I never got a chance to talk with your Doctor Freedman. It's a shame he had to leave. I would have loved to hear his diagnosis…of you."

"Of me?" he smiled. "Oh, Bets, there aren't enough hours in the war, despite what one might think."

"Well, why don't you buy me a drink at the officer's club and you can start at the beginning. I've got all night."

…

Hawkeye and Elizabeth had sat up talking for the most of the night. They'd finally parted ways sometime around three for their own tents. And now at dawn something was making an awful racket.

It was a rooster.

An incredibly loud rooster.

"Did we stumble onto Old MacDonald's war instead of the Swamp last night?" Hawkeye asked his tent-mate.

Sitting up and looking at one another, both grimaced as the soon-to-be deceased rooster crowed again.

Hawkeye pulled his boots on and stood to grab his red ragged robe.

"Where are you going?" BJ asked.

"We could be having roast chicken for dinner tonight if we play our chickens right," Hawkeye told him. "He'll learn there's a price to pay for disturbing my sleep."

"Well, I've got to see you chase a chicken," BJ stuffed his feet into his own boots and pulled on his blue robe before following Hawkeye out of the tent.

Lots of bleary-eyed camp inhabitants were emerging from their own tents as BJ and Hawkeye made their way towards the sound.

Following the sound, they found Frank attempting to sneak from Margaret's tent.

"I didn't know you made house calls, Frank. You're out awful early," Hawkeye said.

"Or you're sneaking out very late," BJ added.

"You – you guys!" his faced was screwed up in frustration. "Marg – Major Houlihan needed some assistance…for your information."

"Sure she did, Frank."

"Whatever you say, Frank."

"Honest!" he whined while he stamped his foot. "Aren't you two up a bit early from your benders?"

The rooster made another call and all men's heads turned in the direction of the main building in the camp where Radar was known to keep his pets.

Hawkeye shook his head. "Oh, Radar."

…

"Shhh, shush…" Radar told the rooster in its cage. "You'll wake the whole camp."

"I think you're too late, Radar," BJ said as they rounded the corner.

Radar was still in his pajamas, with his wool cap, while he tended to the loud animal.

"So, where did you get that?"

"Get what?" Radar asked, standing in front of his poultry friend trying to block it. However, the rooster didn't know it was supposed to be hiding. Or quiet. It crowed again.

"Foghorn Leghorn there – in the cage. You know, the loud thing with all the feathers?"

"Well…" Radar started while looking between the three men's faces.

"Radar…" BJ said in a semi-warning tone.

The rooster crowed again. It was unlikely that anyone was still asleep now.

"You had better cockle-doodle-doo something about that thing or – or I'll round up some hungry villagers and we'll have a barbecue," Hawkeye threatened.

"Well, I don't wanna get her in trouble."

"Which 'her' are you referring to?" Hawkeye asked, even though he knew exactly who the 'her' was.

"Well, late last night, well, real early this morning, I guess…this girl came running into camp. I could tell that she needed help and Major Lawrence heard us talking and she – she left to help them."

"That explains very little, Radar. Would you care to add a few more details to the story?" Hawkeye asked. "Or do we need to go find Bets?"

"Well, sir, that might be kinda difficult on a count that, uh, she ain't back yet."

"What?!" Hawkeye exclaimed.

BJ put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hawkeye, calm down. I'm sure it's not all that…"

"She's been gone for a couple hours now, but I think the girl was saying her grandma was sick – that could be…"

"Oh, sure…" Frank said. "That was probably a spy drawing out doctors – she's probably de-" he continued.

"Shut your mouth, Frank, or I'll shut it for you. With some sutures," BJ said in an aggressive tone.

Frank retaliated to the harsh words by sticking out his tongue. He stamped his foot and headed off in the other direction.

"That still doesn't explain where the chicken came from," BJ said.

Hawkeye turned to BJ. "Why are you so concerned about this ridiculous bird?"

"Up until thirty seconds ago, you were concerned about the chicken, too," BJ told his friend. "So, Radar?"

"The girl had brought it to trade…"

"You traded a doctor for a chicken?" Hawkeye asked.

Radar looked horrified at the thought. "No! I mean, it seems like that, but no! Major Lawrence told me to take it – the girl was insisting and was really upset and she just told me to take the chicken and she'd be back when she was finished."

Hawkeye was visibly angry. "Do you know where she was going? Did they give you a location?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, sir," Radar said. "Elizabeth and I could only understand a little bit of what the girl was saying – we just knew she was in distress. I couldn't have stopped Elizabeth."

"Did they take a jeep or leave on foot?"

Radar hesitated. "They left in a jeep."

"Damn it!" Hawkeye shouted. "She could be anywhere!"

The sound of a jeep was heard coming down the road. It stopped near them and a very tired Elizabeth sat at the wheel. All eyes were on her as she turned the engine off.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Hawkeye said as he stood next to her.

….

Author's Note: You're all awesome! Thank you so much for the kind words that you've been sending for each of the chapters! Hopefully you've liked this one too! Let me know!


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